Holding on to Hope
by AGuyWhoUsedToWrite
Summary: Hermione was told to stay away from him. Harry was warned not to let anyone get too close to him. She didn't listen and for that brief moment, she saw her first glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, that their future wasn't as hopeless as everyone made it out to be. AU. HP/HG Pairing.
1. Rumors

I just want to point out that this story is AU. This will be a Harry Potter / Hermione Granger pairing. Yes, I will answer your questions if you leave them but if you flame me, I will just flat out block you. This is my first story in the Harry Potter world. Just an FYI

I am dedicating this story to my friend who just passed away from Cancer. In her memory, I will finish this story so that she'll have something to look forward to.

* * *

Hermione still remembered that very day when she received her Hogwarts letter. She had just gotten home from school and there it was, just sitting on their kitchen table addressed to her. For an eleven year old girl, this letter held promises of a brighter future. One that would be filled with adventure, knowledge and most importantly, friends.

Fast forward six years and here she was, on her first day of her seventh and final year at Hogwarts but yet, Hermione found herself unfazed by the whole ordeal. While most of her classmates were engaged in conversations with each other, she was sitting alone and away from the rest of her peers.

She spent close to a decade of her life at this school and the only thing that she has to show for it was the knowledge that she gained while studying. It was just unfortunate that the only friend that she made during her tenure here was a boy whom she met during her first year and even he stayed away from her. It broke her heart but deep down inside, she knew that just because the environments changed, the results remained the same.

Hermione Granger was not meant to have friends.

Hermione shook her head a little. "Don't give up now Granger." She muttered to herself. "It's just one more year… One more year and you can finally leave." She push those bitter feelings away and concentrated on the headmaster's speech.

Dumbledore's voice continued to echo through the Great Hall and Hermione once again found herself listening to the rules set for this year. While the headmaster was many things, originality wasn't his strong suit. The rules were the same throughout her years at Hogwarts but the only thing that changes is their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. They went through six in the last six years.

"Lastly, I just want to announce that Mr. Potter will be joining us later tonight. He ran into some unforeseen circumstances that prevented him from joining his fellow classmates on the train this evening but I want to assure everyone that everything is alright." Dumbledore's voice echoed throughout the Great Hall.

Her interest was peaked with this information. Usually the headmaster wouldn't announce something so personal so what was the purpose for this? She pondered on this for a bit.

"Whose life did the boy who gets people killed ruin now? Is there nothing that can be done to stop the plague that is Potter!? How many of our own did he injure during his crusade?"

Hermione looked up and saw Draco Malfoy standing up and looking around. "Come now, we need to protect ourselves against Potter! Everyone that he gets close to dies! Why is he even still at Hogwarts? Does our lives mean so little to our headmaster?"

"That is enough Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore answered with a stern expression on his face. He tried to quell the chatter but the damage was already done.

Everyone started to pick up on what Draco started and Hermione should see the blond sitting back down, with a small smirk on his face. The rest of his house continued to fuel the rumors that Draco started.

Hermione returned her attention to her meal until she saw Lavender coming towards her.

"Did you hear that Granger? People are saying that Potter's on the loose but I guess you have nothing to worry about. You must be so relieved. I guess being a bookworm finally paid off. You're probably the last person on his radar. Wait, does he even know you exist?"

Hermione just stared at her like she grown two heads. Deciding that it wasn't worth it, she ignored the earlier jab. "You know that I don't indulge in rumors Lavender." Her voice soft. "And besides, we have no concrete evidence that Harry was even involved in any of those things."

Lavender rolled her eyes. "I don't even know why I bother with you. How can you even defend Potter? You of all people should be ready to burn him for what he's done to you."

Hermione bit her bottom lip, choosing not to comment. Lavender wasn't wrong but she wasn't going to give the girl the satisfaction of know that. "What do you want Lavender? You usually don't talk to me unless there's something that you need."

"We're going to take a little trip tonight and we want you to come with us. It's our last year together as roommates and a few of us decided that we should make the most it. We want to leave behind something so that we're not forgotten when we graduate next year."

Hermione gave Lavender a questioning look. "And what kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? Are you lot going to see if you can find the entrance to the chamber of secrets?"

Lavender snorted and shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous. Everyone knows that Potter made that all up. We're going to sneak into the Forbidden Forest."

"No." Hermione replied. "I am not doing that. First off, that's a mistake if I ever saw one and secondly, I don't care about leaving behind a legacy."

"What? Don't be daft." Lavender asked. "Come on Granger. Just once in your boring life, why don't you take a chance and come out with us? I'm extending you an invitation so just take it instead of spending your lonely nights in the library. I'm pretty sure you don't want to look back at this when you're old and wish that you took this adventure with us."

Before Hermione can reply, she felt her other roommate, Parvati, come up from behind Lavender and gave her a little nudge on the shoulder. "Did you convince the bookworm to come with us?"

Hermione winced at the nickname. "The bookworm is sitting right here you know." She quietly muttered. "And stop calling me that."

Since her first and only friend decided that he wanted nothing to do with her, she spent most of her time alone in the library. It was a lot harder to make friends when you constantly have someone like Draco Malfoy ruining your life. The rest of her academy career was spent concentrating on her studies and reading the books that was available to her. In the span of six years, most of the books there has been devoured by her thirst for knowledge but the lack of social life has granted her that particular nickname by her peers. It stung at first but Hermione quickly learned to numb out that pain.

Parvati and Lavender shared a quick look between the two of them and nodded. "Look at it this way Granger. We can't force you to come with us but we _highly recommend_ that you come." Lavender added some emphasis to her suggestion. Parvati nodded in agreement.

This definitely feels like a mistake and every fiber of her mind and body was screaming no but for some reason, Hermione dared herself to hope that if she went along with them, maybe they would leave her alone this year.

"What time?" Hermione whispered. Instead of an answer, all she saw was two gleeful smiles staring back at her.

* * *

Later that night, Hermione walked through the school grounds with a few girls including Lavender and Parvati. She heard snippets of the conversation when Lavender was bragging about how her boyfriend, Ron, was getting ready to try out for a position with the Chudley Cannons as their new Keeper but at that point, Hermione lost interest. For some reason, she couldn't get rid of this nagging feeling that plagued her as she walked. She silently cursed herself for leaving her wand behind on her bed.

If this was another prank, Hermione was going to be ready for them. Over the years, she was a victim of their childish pranks that ranged from taking her personal belongings and hiding them to locking her in the bathroom without her wand. She slowed down her pace to fall behind the group and continued to stay vigilante. The girls have now crossed over into the Forbidden Forest, strolling forward as if it was just a normal day in the park.

Hermione, on the other hand, was taking her time to watch where she was going. One thing that she noticed was that the deeper she went, the more her surroundings melded together. Hopefully they would be able to find their way out without running into any of the inhabitants that live in the forest.

"Hurry up Granger!" Lavender shouted, waving her hand. "We found this spot that overlooks the center of the forest and it looks great under the moonlight."

Despite her nagging feeling, she followed them up a small hill and what she saw took her breathe away. Lavender was right, the sight before her was gorgeous. Instead of the dark and gloomy feeling that you get when you're looking at it from the outside, there was a sense of serenity only available to the ones that make it this far into the forest. Taking a few minutes to just enjoy the scenery, Hermione closed her eyes and took everything in. It was in this moment that she finally was at peace with herself but that moment didn't last long.

As quickly as Hermione stood there, she felt several hands grab her from behind and she let out a scream. "Let go of me!" She struggled for a bit but was overpowered quickly.

Hermione's eyes widened as she realized that this was the entire reason why they took her out here. It was another prank all along. "Why...?" She asked. "Why are you doing this? Why couldn't you just have left me alone? This was going to be our last year!" Tears now falling from her eyes. "I've never done anything to you girls so tell me why!"

"It's because you thought you were better than us. Oh look, I have no social life so I'm going to read every book and make everyone else look bad." Parvati replied in a mocking tone. "You did this to yourself Granger." The girls held on tighter and they dragged her closer to the edge.

"See you back at the castle bookworm. If you make it back."

That was the last thing Hermione heard before she felt the girls push her off. She could feel her body being scrapped by the broken branches and rocks and by the time her body reached the bottom, she was slightly bleeding from those scratches. Even though it stung, she swallowed her tears and pushed herself backup.

As Hermione looked around, she couldn't recognize the clearing anymore. The moonlight that was once providing vision was now being blocked by an overhead of clouds. Hermione felt the panic rising in her chest as she pulled her arms together to keep herself from shivering.

"Don't panic Hermione. You've been through worse. This is nothing." Hermione whispered to herself. "Except that there are creatures that would find you very delicious... and wouldn't mind a late night snack."

Nothing could have prepared her for this but she wasn't going to give up. She was going to make it out of this forest. As Hermione slowly trekked through the forest, she could hear rumblings and weird sounds but whenever she turned around, there was nothing there. Walking a little bit further, she bumped into something solid and fell to the ground hard. It felt like she just walked into an invisible brick wall.

Still seeing nothing, Hermione blinked twice and then heard a screeching sound echoing throughout the forest. Not knowing what it was, she steadied herself as she got up and looked around. Her eyes detected nothing but her ears heard thunder. Like really loud thunder coming towards her.

Her heart started beating faster and faster and the sound just got louder and louder. Just where is this noise coming from? Hermione continued to look around but as every second passes, that panic was leaping up from the pits of her stomach to her throat. Before she could let out a scream, she felt a force slam into her as her body automatically rolled to the ground. With her eyes closed from the impact, she could feel the wind rushing past her face but her body was still tensed.

"Are you mental? Why would you wander into a Thestrals nest of all places!?" A hoarse voice spoke up. "What were you thinking Hermione?"

Hearing her name, Hermione finally opened her eyes and for that brief moment in time, she forgot where she was. Her mouth felt like sand as she tried to say something but nothing came out. When her brain finally registered the person in front of her, the first thing she did was to hug him.

"Harry?" Hermione all but shouted. "Wh-what are you doing here? You shouldn't be here! Dumbledore explicitly told us that this was off-limits! You could get into so much trouble!"

Harry sighed and shook his head. "You haven't changed one bit Hermione and for the record, I don't care about what Dumbledore has to say. What are you even doing here? I never pictured you as the outdoor adventure type. You should be inside the castle where it's safe for someone like you."

Despite being the victim of a cruel prank, she never expected Harry, of all people, to be standing there and judging her. It was at that moment that Hermione realized that she was tired. Tired of being bullied. Tried of having no friends. Just tired of everything that was Hogwarts! "And how would you even know that Mr. Potter? You were the one who decided to end our friendship like it was some kind of cheap novelty item so do not even begin to talk to me like you know me! Just don't!"

Harry's eyes widened after hearing Hermione raise her voice at him. That took him by surprise. He didn't recall a time when she yelled at him before. Even if it was for a brief moment in time. He took a step back in return, not wanting to incur more of her wrath.

"You wouldn't understand. No one would understand."

"Then make me understand! What happened to the curious boy who I met on the train all those years ago? What happened to him?" Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and forced him to look at her. "What happened after our first year Harry?"

Harry didn't answer but instead, he pulled his hand away from her. "Your exit is ten minutes due North. I hope that our paths never cross again Hermione."

"Answer me Harry! After all that's happened, I deserve to know. You owe me at least that much."

"I don't owe you anything." Harry coldly replied. "You shouldn't have come into the forest Hermione. This place is just as dangerous as being outside Hogwarts with those death eaters. Neither will care if you end up dead. If Dumbledore cared for anything else than his greater good propaganda bullshit, he would have the sense of actually warding off this place."

Hermione felt the need to defend herself but her eyes lingered on Harry. "I didn't even want to come here in the first place…"

"Then do something about it."

With that said, Harry waved his hand in front of Hermione and the next thing she knew, she was flying past Harry and in the direction that he pointed earlier. Towards the exit of the Forbidden Forest.

* * *

You know what I just realized? After reading these stories for the past few years, I finally know why Hermione's parents were named Dan and Emma. Yeah I'm slow on the uptake. Leave me be.


	2. Discovery

Thanks for the follows. I made some grammatical fixes to chapter 1 and updated it slightly. Not a big deal. Please let me know how the story is thus far once you're done.

* * *

Hermione continued to pace around the front gates of Hogwarts, her mind trying to wrap itself over the events that just transpired. She couldn't believe that Harry was the one who came to save her. Harry Potter of all people. She hasn't seen him since the end of their first year but she had often wonder what their reunion would be like if they were to meet again.

Would it have been awkward silence like two exes or would it have been like old pals seeing each other for the first time in years? The idea danced around in her head for a bit but it never lingered long enough.

That was usually the case until tonight. Seeing Harry again brought back all those buried memories and unanswered questions.

"Harry..." Hermione gently whispered, almost if saying his name any louder would cause this moment to disappear.

He was no longer the shy, curious boy that she met on the train. This new Harry so different that she barely recognized him anymore. The way that he forcefully commanded his magic to send her back to the castle. It was unlike anything that she experienced before but what really caught her attention was his eyes. From what she remembered, Harry always had a kind of warmth behind those green eyes of his.

The way that they always lit up every time they spoke about magic or when they had discussions regarding the future of their academic careers. It really broke her heart to see that the things that made him Harry to her was no longer there. Just what had happened in the last few years that caused him to turn into this person?

Could those rumors actually be true?

There was a hitched in her breath but Hermione quickly shook her head. She refused to believe any of those rumors. Not until she heard it straight from his mouth.

"What happened to you Harry?" She muttered, her eyes still watching the path from the forest. "Where did my friend disappear to?"

Minutes passed since she left the forest and it wasn't until her legs started to ache that she realized Harry wasn't coming back this way. Leave it up to Harry to have found another way into the Hogwarts without strolling past the front gates.

Hermione shifted gears and ran back into the castle. If Harry had indeed made it back, he would be heading back to the common room. "Oh, I hope I catch him in time." She said out loud as she ran through the empty halls of Hogwarts.

Even though she was focused on finding Harry, Hermione hasn't forgotten about the mean prank that was played on her tonight. Harry's words still echoed through her mind but how was she suppose to do something about it?

The last time she stood up for herself, she entered a shouting match with Ron and as quickly as it started, it ended with them going separate ways. He wanted nothing to do with someone who was bossy and a bookworm. The way that he shouted those things at her proved that she made a right choice to distance herself away from him. After that day, it seemed like Ron had taken it upon himself to spread some rumors about her to the rest of their house.

Hermione made a solemn vow that she was never going anywhere without wand or those girls again. Her bed and trunk was going to be triple-layered with security spells once she does some research. Her body jerked to the right and with a quick mutter of the Gryffindor password, she plopped her body down into a cushy chair had overlooked the entrance to the boy's dormitory.

It wasn't until she sat down that she realized just how tired she was. "Maybe I'll close my eyes for a bit..." Hermione said, trying to stifle a yawn that was threatening to escape from her lips. "Okay... only for a little..."

Hours later, Hermione felt someone shaking her and opened her eyes. "Where is he?" She yelled as she quickly stood up, nearly headbutting the person who woken her up. "Neville? What are you doing here?"

Neville stepped back with a confused look on his face, "I would think that by now, I would know where my sleeping quarters are Hermione." He answered, chuckling. "What's gotten you so riled up so early in the morning?"

"Harry Neville. Did he leave for breakfast already? Of course he did. My God he's so hard to find. He's worse than looking for that one sock that always disappears after taking it out of the wash."

"Er, ignoring the sock bit, I don't think that's the reason Hermione."

Hermione raised her eyebrow. "What do you mean? Where else would Harry be if he's not here?"

"He hasn't been sleeping here for the past few years. Actually to think about it. Harry hasn't stepped foot into this place since him and Ron had that big fight during the start of the second year."

"What! How could that have happened?" Hermione grabbed the poor boy by his shoulders and began to unconsciously apply more pressure. Her nails now digging into his skin. "Where is he now?"

Neville winced from the pain. "I don't know. No one has seen him since then! I swear! Shouldn't you have some kind of idea? I mean you guys used to run together during your first year and you even sit here every night after the library as well. Shouldn't you have noticed if he came in or not? Surely you would have noticed that he stopped coming."

Hermione loosen her grip and sank back into the chair. "You're right." She whispered. "You're absolutely right... I should have paid more attention."

She reflected back to the earlier years and she couldn't recall a single time when she saw Harry in their tower.

"Why are you looking for him Hermione?"

She looked up and saw concern written across his face. Hermione sighed and shook her head. "It's nothing really. I just wanted to have a talk with him."

"Aren't you afraid of the rumors? What if they're true?"

"Honestly Neville. We're not children anymore. We're old enough to know that rumors are nothing but lies. Look at Skeeter for example. Nothing but lies printed in her articles. I don't know why that horrid woman is still a reporter."

Neville shook his head in disagreement. "Can you honestly tell me that you don't believe some of it? I was there Hermione! I was there when those slytherins were in the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey. You weren't there where they came back with broken bones, blood lost and some that looks like they were hit by dark spells. I don't know what exactly happened to them but they had one thing in common. They all said they crossed paths with Harry Potter."

"Now that can't all be true. What if they were lying?"

"Look Hermione. I'm not trying to make excuses nor am I going to give you a lecture on how you should be spending your time. You're old enough to know the dangers of who you associate yourself with. I'm not your parents. I'm just Neville Longbottom from the house of Longbottom and my only wish is that you won't make the same mistakes as those boys. There is a reason why you're called the brightest witch of our generation."

Hermione nodded, fighting back some tears in her eyes. She stood up and gave him a firm hug as silent thanks. "Thank you for at least not believing those rumors about me."

Neville shrugged and look towards the exit. "You were always nice to me when no one else was. Doesn't take a genius to know when the truth is right in front of their face. Now how about some Breakfast then?"

Hermione politely declined. "I need to see Professor Mcgonagall."

Letting out a sigh, Neville shook his head and walked through the exit. Hermione shortly followed and ran towards the transfiguration classroom as she knew her head of house would be there early to grade papers. Her feet quickly took her through the hallway and into the classroom.

"Professor!"

Mcgonagall looked up startled, surprised to see one of her students calling for her this early in the morning. "My goodness Miss Granger. Is there a problem?"

"No but I really need to talk to you." Hermione rushed up to the front of the classroom while Mcgonagall stood up.

"What's on your mind Miss Granger? I would think that you would be off getting some breakfast before your first class of the day."

"It's about Harry Professor."

Mcgonagall gave her a questioned look. "Mr. Potter? I didn't know you were in communications with him again. Did something happen?"

Hermione had wondered if she should start from the beginning but decided against it. This issue was something that she would need to take care of herself. She was not a little girl that would run to her mom for every little thing. "It's nothing serious. I just want to know where he is. I asked Neville and he told me that Harry hasn't been sleeping in the Gryffindor dormitory since the second year which doesn't make sense since there are only 4 places where students are allowed to take up residency and if he's not in Gryffindor, I don't know where he is."

The Scottish professor merely smiled. "Take a deep breath Miss Granger. I can assure you that Mr. Potter is still in the castle and is currently residing in a safe place. Where it is, I cannot tell you but he has permission from the headmaster to do so."

"But why? Was it for his protection or for something else?"

"That is not my place to say. If you want some answers, I'm afraid that you'll have to ask Mr. Potter himself."

Hermione suppressed a groan and started rubbing the temple on her head. "This is ridiculous. What is the need for all this secrecy and what does this have to do with Harry?"

"I am not at liberty to say Miss Granger. Now if you have no further questions, I have a lot of parchments to grade and I do believe yours is coming up very soon..." Mcgonagall replied, picking up the quill to resume her work.

Picking up on her tone, Hermione wisely thanked her professor for the time and left the classroom. If anything, Mcgonagall was a true educator and there was a limit that you can go before she bites back. Given the fact that if none of her housemates has seen Harry and if their head of house hasn't seen him, then it was up to her to find out where in Hogwarts was Harry Potter!

* * *

It took Hermione 5 missed classes, two detentions from Sprout and Flitwick for not paying attention and one lecture from Trelawney for her to realized that if Harry Potter didn't want to be found, he wasn't going to be found. It left her frustrated that she just wasted an entire day with zero results to show for it. At this point, she was sure she checked every room in the castle. From the library to the classrooms and even the dungeons. That boy was harder to find than those damn Where's Wally? books.

After her last class that she conveniently missed, Hermione walked out of the school and stood at the front gates, with only a few meters separating her and the forbidden forest. Deep down, this was one of the dumbest plans she has ever thought off. If she couldn't find Harry, then maybe getting into danger would make him come to her.

She pondered her plan for a few minutes, walking back and forth between the line that divided the gates of Hogwarts and the forest. Left with no other option, she put her right foot forward and crossed that invisible line.

"Tell me you're not going to do what I think you're about to do."

Hermione's head snapped towards the voice. "Harry? You git! I spent the entire day looking for you!"

Harry nodded his head. "I know. I was following you around for a bit. I still can't believe you told Snape that you had more important stuff to do than listen to him rant about the day's lessons. I was very impressed with you Hermione. Never thought that Snape could turn that shade of purple to be honest."

"Well that's because you're not the easiest person to find Mr. Potter!" Hermione replied, a blush on her cheeks. "Did you honestly expect me to sit around and just ignore everything that has happened?"

"I kind of did. I had hope that you would be smart enough to just leave this alone and walk away."

"You're a prat. You know that?" Hermione angrily replied. "Why are you acting like Malfoy anyway?"

"I am not acting like a Malfoy." Harry hissed. "I am nothing like those slimy bastards. If I was acting like a Malfoy, you would have died in that forbidden forest last night."

"Harry..."

"Do not Harry me Hermione. What are you doing out here?" Harry asked, his eyes looking at the young woman standing before him.

"I was looking for you. You're so invisible that no one knows where you spend your time. It's almost like you want to be isolated from everyone else."

"Has it crossed your mind that maybe I do?"

"Why?" Hermione asked. "Why do you do this to yourself? Is it because of what you said last night? That I wouldn't understand anything?"

"Yes!" Harry all but shouted. "You think it's so easy being Harry Potter? I would rather be someone else. Anyone else! I would trade all the gold in my vault to just disappear but I can't! If I disappear then everyone would have been left to the mercy of that dark wanker! Do you think I like having some kind of psychotic wizard come after me? I've been living alone for the past 6 years just so none of you would get hurt anymore! I gave up my future just so people like you would have a shot of living to see tomorrow. In case you didn't notice Hermione, I have a big target on my back with the greatest dark wizard of all time gunning for me. Not you. Me!"

Taken back by Harry's outburst, Hermione finally saw the bigger picture. She finally had an understanding on why Harry acted the way he did. He didn't push her away because he didn't care. He pushed her away because he did cared. Finding herself speechless, she was only able to nod along but in actuality, her heart broke just hearing his story.

"Why does it have to be you?" She whispered. Her hand lingered slightly in the air before she pulled it back. She could literally see the magic that was surrounding Harry.

"Because it's my destiny." Harry spat out. The word destiny left a foul taste in his mouth after all those years of hearing it. "I need you to stay away from me Hermione. For your own safety, I need you to understand that. Anyone who gets close to me will end up hurt or worse, dead."

"So it's true." Hermione gasped. "Those rumors about you."

"And what if it was? Would that convince you to stay away from me?" Harry asked. He walked up to her and stopped when he was mere inches from her face. "Nothing good will come to you if you continue down this path Hermione."

Hermione stayed silent as she stared back at him, knowing that she was staring into those green eyes of his. Was this all an act done by Harry to push her away again? Like what he did after their first year?

"Just turn around and forget that you know me. You'll be graduating next year and then you're going to leave the wizarding world for good. People will treat you normally instead of judging you. You can have finally have a life where you're not mocked by your peers."

"No. I won't do it." Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. The logical side of her agreed with Harry. This was her last year and she would be done here. She told herself that she was going to leave her Hogwarts past behind and never return. Leave behind those memories of being bullied and pranked but the emotional side wanted her friend back. Wanted the boy that she knew all those years ago who saw her for something more than a bossy know it all.

"What? Did you not hear me earlier Hermione? This is not a joke. There is nothing waiting for you here except for death. Knowing me is knowing that you'll be another body that I will have to bury someday."

There it was again. Harry kept bringing up certain topics that left her very curious. Hermione made a mental note to really ask Harry about this later. She swallowed her fears and made an attempt to grab his hand. "You might think you know what's best for me Harry Potter but let me tell you. You don't. You don't know what I've been through since you left me-"

"I have some idea-" Harry started to speak but one look from Hermione made him think twice about interrupting her again.

"My point is that I'm not going anywhere. I finally found you and I have no intention of letting you push me away again. There is absolutely no point in going through life without any friends Harry. It's completely and utterly boring." She took a step back without letting go of his hand. "I'm not denying that you know more than me about the war but when it comes to being alone, I know that what you're doing right now isn't the answer."

Harry stared at her and couldn't help but see that girl that he once knew a long time ago. The bushy hair girl who constantly demanded that he keep up with his studies instead of goofing off somewhere in the castle. He felt a pang of guilt in the pits of his stomach. This was his fault. He was the reason why she was alone all these years. It was because of a choice that he made and she suffered because of him.

"Even if I told you to stay away from me, you would still continue to look for me won't you?"

Hermione nodded. "We were friends once, whether you care to admit it or not Harry. Now that I found you, I'm not going to let you squeeze me out of your life. More than anything in this world, I want to be with my friend again."

"Stubborn as always Hermione." Harry sighed and pulled his hand back. "If you promise to stop putting yourself in danger, then I'll come find you."

Before Hermione could respond, she heard a loud pop and Harry was no longer standing in the spot that he was. Shock registered on her face which left her stuttering. "You- you can't apparate in Hogwarts Harry! Come back here!"

* * *

End of Chap 2. I have plans to make this story about 29-30 chapters long in dedication of my friend.


	3. Reunion

Thanks to all that favorited/alerted/reviewed etc. I hope this chapter meets expectations.

* * *

It was already late into the evening and Dumbledore was nursing his second drink of the night. He suppose the blame fell to the young man that was standing in his office.

"Harry... we spoke about this before. We cannot deviate from our goal. Every action that we do not take. Every setback that we encounter, Voldemort is one step closer and that is something that we cannot let happen."

"No. You do not get to pin this blame on me!" Harry growled, "I am not one of your little pawns that you can control! This is Hermione's life that we're talking about! What did you think was going to happen to her if I haven't intervened? Did you think I wouldn't have found out if Hermione died? You promised me that you would keep her safe and yet, she somehow ended up in that damn forest. The one place that I keep telling you to ward off but you didn't listen. That's your problem Dumbledore. You. Never. Listen!"

"And you do not see the bigger picture Harry. We went over this already. This war cannot be won without sacrifices. You knew this going in."

Harry stared at Dumbledore and slammed his fists onto the desk, causing Fawkes to stir from his slumber. "You do not get to lecture me on sacrifices old man. My parents may have believed in your cause but I am not my parents. I have made enough sacrifices for this lifetime and the only reason that I even agreed to join you was because you made me several promises and one of them was to keep Hermione safe! An excellent job you're doing by the way!"

Ignoring his sarcasm, Dumbledore downed the rest of his drink and stared back at the young man. "You have a destiny to fulfill and no one but you can defeat the dark lord. You know all of this Harry. Why must you insist of playing the role of the child when we both know that you are something so much more. If you can just focus on your tasks then we stand a greater chance of defeating him."

Harry took a deep breath and pushed his anger down. He can feel his magic yearning to be free but he kept it in check. There were a couple of times in the past where he lost control over his magic and that resulted in several rooms being burnt from the inside out. After the last incident, Dumbledore felt that it was time to give Harry some guidance on how to understand and control his magic.

He learned earlier on that magic is all about intent. You can make even the simplest spell deadly. For example, lumos. It's a beginner spell that every first year knows and is told that it's mainly use to light up dark areas. What the professors at Hogwarts didn't teach is that the more emotion that you put into your spell, the deadlier it becomes.

Imagine taking a lumos spell and making it as bright as the sun. You would blind every person in the room permanently.

It was one of the first lessons that Harry learned. Magic is just a tool. It's how the user utilizes the tool that makes it dangerous.

Seeing how calm Dumbledore is continued to irritate Harry. "What do you think I've been doing for the past six years? Twiddling my thumbs and waiting for Voldemort to stroll up and kill me? No damn it. I have given my blood and sweat into training and learning spellwork. I've done everything and I've never once asked you for anything in return. Do you know why I never asked?"

The headmaster shook his head. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage here Harry."

"I never asked because I knew it was the one thing that you wouldn't allow. You knew that I wanted was to stay friends with Hermione and Ron but in your almighty wisdom, you actually _insisted_ that I create some distance between them and look at how well that messed turned out. Hermione was bullied and Ron became such an egotistic moron that even I can't stand to be in the same room as him anymore. Do you even care about the implications of your actions Dumbledore or are we just pawns in your little game with Voldemort?"

"My boy, you know that I only had your best interest in mind when we embarked on his journey. Your safety was my top priority."

"Bullshit!" Harry angrily replied. "You saw someone who was hurting after experiencing the Mirror of Erised and you took advantage of the situation. You saw someone who you can mold into a weapon but that's where you're wrong. I'm not a weapon. You manipulated me into believing that the only way to end this war was to trust in your judgment. That you had all the answers because of the prophecy but let me tell you right now. I am no one's tool, especially not yours. I will do what is expected of me because our goals align but know this. The moment this is over, we're done."

Dumbledore stood up and flared up his magic. "Enough of this nonsense! I understand the pain that you're going through Harry. I honestly do but what would Sirius say if he was still here? Would he have wanted you to give up and run away like some kind of scared child? No. Sirius understood the meaning of sacrifice, which is why he gave up his life to protect you. Are you that selfish that you would ignore the chance that Sirius gave us?"

Deep down Dumbledore knew he crossed the line. Sirius's death was one of the things that they swore they would never speak about. The incident was just another painful memory for Harry and for him to bring it up, he instantly regretted it. The only thing that made it okay was that he told himself it was for the greater good.

"You do not even get to mention his name Dumbledore." Harry hissed. "I know for a fact that he was against this plan of yours from the start. He didn't want me to grow up alone and isolated. He wanted me to be more like my dad. To be normal and to have friends but thanks to you, I didn't get to experience any of that. So the next time you bring up my godfather's name, it better be in respect of him or else I'm going to show you why you should fear me instead of Voldemort."

Dumbledore took a step back, surprised by the sheer amount of magic that Harry was calling forth. He could feel his own magic reacting to his and he quickly shut it down. There was only so much magic that the magical instruments in his office can take before it exploded.

"You made your point Harry. I apologize for my earlier comment and I will put more effort in my promise to keep Miss Granger safe but we cannot forget that we're allies in this war and that Voldemort is our one true enemy. Fighting among ourselves is counter-productive and we do not have the luxury of time right now."

Harry narrowed his eyes but didn't let up on his magic. He let out a quick grunt and the clock on Dumbledore's wall exploded.

"That was unnecessary Harry." Dumbledore reprimanded. "Are you satisfied now?"

"Far from it but I will be when this war of yours is over." Harry replied as he walked out of the headmaster's office, slamming the door with more force than required. He heard Fawkes screech from outside the room and he smiled. Waking up a slumbering Phoneix was never a good thing. Harry turned the corner and started walking down the staircase, making his way to the kitchen to get some food.

"If it isn't Potter, the boy who is too good to show up with the rest of us."

Harry sighed and stopped walking. He knew who that voice belong to and a little part of him was hoping this would happen. He needed to hurt something after that meeting and Draco always had the uncanny ability to show up when he's not wanted. "Did you come to tell me about how impotent your father is Draco because I keep telling you to do a paternity test to see if Lucius is really your father or not. I mean wouldn't you want to know if your father is actually your father considering that your mother was actually the Dark Wankers play thing? I'm sure he shared his toys with the rest of his followers."

"You don't get to talk about my family that way Potter!" Draco angrily replied. "You're nothing but the dirt beneath the bottom of my shoes. People have been whispering that you and that mudblood are friends again. That's good for me you know because when the time comes, I'm going to make sure that she suffers a fate worse than death. Yes... you mentioned something about a play thing earlier? I'm sure a few people that I know wouldn't mind playing with her."

"Once chance Malfoy. Apologize and walk away. If you don't, i'm going to promise you that whatever happens to you tonight will be multiple times worse than what Voldemort does to your father on a nightly basis."

Draco gritted his teeth and his hand circled his wand holster. His eyes glanced between the two others that Harry recognized as Crabbe and Goyle. "I'm going to make you pay Potter. I'm going to show everyone one and for all that you're not untouchable."

"Alright then." Harry calmly answered as he started walking towards the slytherin group. "You made your bed Draco. Now rest in it."

* * *

It's been a few days since Hermione saw Harry and true to her word, she was keeping her head low and out of trouble. It also helped that her roommates and the girls involved with the prank were also avoiding her as well. Instead, she spent the time making up a list of questions that she was going to ask him when she saw him again.

Hermione continued to scribble down bits and pieces on her notepad until she heard the adjacent chair move. She looked up and was surprised to see Harry sitting down next to her.

"You're here." She exclaimed, trying to keep the surprise off her face. "I can't believe it. You actually showed up."

Harry gave her a confused look. "Why wouldn't I?"

Hermione didn't answer as she sat there in silence. She looked at Harry with curious eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "You know I still can't believe that you're here Harry... Even though it's been six years... this feels surreal. A little piece of me is afraid that if I close my eyes... you would disappear again..."

Harry didn't say anything but instead, he looked away, feeling ashamed. Deep down, he was conflicted and knew that everything that happened to Hermione was because of him. If only he had done things differently...

Hermione noticed that Harry sat there, a troubled expression on his face but there was also this awkwardness that was lingering in the air and she could tell that he felt it too. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes as they sat there in silence.

"Maybe this was a mistake." Harry sighed and started to stand back up but before he got any further, Hermione reached over and grabbed his hand.

"Don't go." Hermione whispered. "There's a lot of things that happened between us and I hate the feeling that if I let you go now, I won't ever see you again... I can't explain it but I can't let you walk out of my life again Harry. I just need some time to come to terms with this."

"Are you sure that this is what you want?" Harry asked. "Being associated with me won't win you any other friends Hermione."

"As long as I have you, I think I'd be alright I reckon." Hermione replied, smiling. "I missed you Harry."

Harry chuckled, knowing that once Hermione gets an idea in her head, more often than not, she was going to stay with it. Stubborn to a fault but he could see how it just made her Hermione. He held out his hand and introduced himself once more. Just like he did many years ago. "Harry James Potter."

Hermione did a double take as she slowly whispered the name in her head. "Harry James... Potter..." She muttered. "You're HJP? The person who keeps checking the books that I want? You're the same HJP who kept me from finishing Sprout's essay!"

"That was just an odd coincidence but I believe this is the part where you introduce yourself Hermione Jane Granger."

"Don't be a prat now Harry." Hermione replied, amusement written on her face. She smiled and shook his hand. "It's very nice to meet you Harry James Potter."

The two shared a small laughed and they resumed talking about the little things. Once in a while, Hermione would glance over at her notepad which she has now hidden under a stack of books. There was this nagging feeling that wouldn't go away and she started squirming in her seat which she knew Harry picked up on.

"What do you want to know Hermione?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes. "I saw the list of questions that you have written down on that notepad of yours. Ask me one and I'll tell you."

"Just one?"

"Let's not be greedy now."

Hermione bit her lips and without looking at her list, she already knew which one she wanted to know. "Can you tell me how you were able to do the things that you did that night? I don't think that even the professors can repeat what you did."

"Would you believe me if I said I had years of practice?"

Hermione shook her head. "Yes, I believe that certain levels of magic can be attained if a person was dedicated enough but all records have shown that to be able to do what you did, it would take decades of practice. Not a few years."

"That's why you're the smart one Hermione but in this case, you're only right in theory because you assume that magic is an innate ability. What if you consider for a second that magic is alive? That it's apart of us and it has the possibility to evolve. Think about it, when we're younger, our magical abilities were limited to our emotions such as when we felt angry or scared. We classified that as accidental magic and as we grew older, we started channeling our magic through the usage of wands and staffs. The only thing that has changed is what we're told about our abilities. What if we're able to push past that? To remove that limit that is set? There's a whole world waiting out there. Depending on who you talk to, the conversations are endless. Trust me, I never want to be in a room with those type of people again. Thinking about it makes my head hurt."

Watching Harry explain the theory of magic to her was unbelievable. This was the boy who was like her, raised in the muggle world with no prior knowledge of magic and then years later, his fundamentals have greatly exceeded what she expected. "How do you know all of this Harry?" She asked, still trying to digest what he told her just moments ago.

"I had help that taught me things over the years."

"What kind of things?" Hermione pressed on, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Things that the help excelled at."

"Who found you the help?"

"The help introduced more help to me."

Hermione let out a small scream as she made strangling motions with her hands. "You, Harry Potter, are the most infuriating person I've ever met!" She picked up the closest book and started to squeeze it. "God help me Harry or I'm going to beam you with this book!"

"I see you've been speaking with the help then." Harry answered, getting in one last joke before seeing the vein pop up on the side of Hermione's neck. After spending several minutes calming Hermione down, he asked about Ron. The last time he saw the youngest male Weasley, they had an argument years ago before he walked out of the door and left him behind.

"You know Ronald's attitude Harry. He tried to pick up on the fame that we had during our first year and when I wanted nothing to do with it, he took it poorly and it ended with us having a shouting match. We haven't spoke since. I do see him sometimes in the common room but that's mostly it." Hermione explained and Harry detected a sad tone to her voice. The memory of her earlier years must have been painful to her.

"Please don't blame yourself. If Ron can't see past the fame, then that's his lost, not yours. I believe in you Hermione. Never allow anyone to dictate your worth."

Hermione smiled in reply and wipe the stray tear from her eye. Harry silently chastised Ron for actually giving all of this up. If he had a choice, he wouldn't have given this up. She was someone that he would want in his corner no matter what the situation was. He just hoped that later on, he wouldn't make the same mistake again because just seeing her again was worth all the risks.

* * *

Who would have thought that writing up the story boards for this story was more trouble than actually writing it. Go figure.


	4. Promises

Enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Hermione clutched her chest as she walked to breakfast with her new companion. She continued to glare at the young man who remained oblivious. "Why would you think it was okay to scare me so early in the morning Harry?"

"In my defense, waiting for you in the common room shouldn't have scared you."

"But did you have to jump up from the couch with a blanket over your head as I walked into the room?" Hermione asked, punching him in the arm. "And is anything going to be normal with you Harry?"

Harry pondered the question for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Being normal is overrated."

Hermione sighed and she walked past the doors of the Great Hall. The moment that she entered the room, chatter instantly stopped and she could feel everyone's eyes on them. She turned to Harry and saw him unfazed by the ordeal. He gently took her hand and led her to the house table and promptly sat her down.

"I warned you about this Hermione." Harry whispered as he looked around the table. As his gaze passed through the table, those who were staring quickly looked away and then chatter slowly started back up. There was no doubt in his mind that the rumor mill is working overtime for this.

He turned his attention back to Hermione and saw that she was already eating her breakfast with a small smile on her face. "What?" He asked.

"Nothing."

Harry sighed and grabbed some of the toast off her plate. He watched as more people started coming through the doors but what he was mostly focused on were people from Gryffindor. When they saw who was sitting at their table, the students quickly moved past them to the other side, leaving a huge gap of space.

"I told you this was a mistake." Harry exclaimed. "Look, why don't you just finish your breakfast and I'll -"

A piece of bacon was then shoved into Harry's mouth before he could finish his sentence. He turned and glared at Hermione who continued to smile.

"Why did you do that?"

"Because you were going off tangent. I meant what I said before. This is a very small price that I'm more than willing to pay to have you back in my life. So stop worrying and eat your breakfast."

Harry frowned but listened to her anyway. As he munched on that piece of bacon, the next set of people that walked in were his former roommates. All three of them... He felt a hitch in his breathe as they continued to stroll in, oblivious to the fact that he was sitting right there. Hermione noticed that Harry stopped eating and followed his line of sight to the three people who walked in but the person who caught her attention was the one standing in the middle. She recognized that red hair anymore. Everyone did.

"Maybe he won't notice you Harry." She whispered. "It has been several years since you last saw him and there's no way that Ron is able to hold a grudge for that long."

Harry gave her a skeptical look which caused her to giggle slightly. "Obviously you haven't been paying attention to how he is around the castle..." Harry dryly added.

"Potter! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ron's loud voice echoed through the hall. "Get out. You don't have a right to sit at this table. It's for Gryffindors only."

Harry ignored his former friend and continued to eat his breakfast, or rather the breakfast that Hermione pushed in front of him earlier. This was what he wanted to avoid. A confrontation with Ron.

"Go away Ronald." Hermione answered as the three boys marched up to where they were sitting. "Harry is still a Gryffindor whether you choose to accept it or not. That alone gives him the right to sit here."

"Shaddup you bookworm." Seamus replied. "This doesn't concern you."

"Did someone piss in your mouth this morning Seamus? That's no way to talk to a lady." Harry quickly retorted, "If fact, why don't you try picking on me instead of Hermione? She has done nothing to warrant your harassment or are you afraid of picking on someone that isn't afraid of hitting back?"

The Irish boy gripped his knuckles, looking to take a swing but before he could do it, Ron stopped him. "That's what he wants you to do mate. With all the professors watching, Potter wants you to make the first move. Don't let him bait you like that. We won't sink to his level. We're smarter than that."

"Like Hermione told you lot earlier, we were enjoying our breakfast until it was rudely interrupted." Harry said. He picked up another piece of bacon and started to chew it slowly. "There's plenty of seats at this table. I don't see why we can't be adults about this or is your eating habits just as horrible as the rumors say? I can't seem to get that right since I haven't lost my appetite in a while."

He watched as Ron turned red from embarrassment and before he knew it, Ron knocks his plates off the table. "I said you're done here Potter. Leave before this gets worse for you. You haven't sat with us in six years so why bother to start now?"

"I wasn't done eating yet." Harry replied, still munching on his second piece of bacon. "I'll leave when I'm good and ready."

Hermione looked at the exchange between Harry and Ron and she started to panic. She turned her head and saw that the professors have stopped eating as well. They were watching this with interest and she frowned. They should be doing something about it, not waiting for something to happen. She turned her attention back to Harry and was worried that he might do something that would get him in trouble.

"Harry..." She whispered, trying to get his attention. "He's not worth it. Please just let it go."

Ron snorted. "Listen to your bookworm Potter. I always knew you were shagging her behind my back. Why else would she choose you over me?"

Hermione fumed at her former friend. How dare he accuse her of being a harlot of sorts but before she could speak up, Harry stepped in.

"Perhaps it was the uncanny resemblance that you share with Draco or maybe it was the way that you act but who knows Ron. I can't speak on Hermione's behalf but I do know that she isn't the type of woman who associates herself with idiots. She's more than capable of making her own decisions so who she chooses to spend her time with is none of your concern. If you actually valued her friendship then you would've known that." Harry replied. "I took her for granted once... I won't do it a second time..." The last part he whispered but Hermione heard it and she squeezed his arm to let him know that.

Ron watched the exchange between his former friends and narrowed his eyes. How dare they just dismiss him like that. He quickly snatched Harry's goblet from the table and with one swift motion, he dumped the entire content over Harry's head. "I hope she was worth everything Potter."

The entire student body watched as the sweet orange liquid from Harry's goblet dripped all over him. Hermione let out a small gasp and quickly grabbed some napkins. Harry stopped her and then stood up, using his shirt to clean the liquid off his glasses.

"I guess your breakfast is done now." Ron said, laughing along with Seamus and Dean.

Harry merely smiled and nodded his head in return. "Yup. I guess I'm done now." He started walking out of the hall with the liquid still dripping over his clothes. Laughter could still be heard as he walked out but he did not once look back.

Hermione gave Ron one last glare and then ran out as well. She quickly caught up to Harry who was standing by the entrance waiting for her. "I am so sorry Harry. I didn't know he would resort to something so childish."

Harry chuckled, "Why are you apologizing for Hermione? Was it your fault that Ron dumped orange juice on me?"

She shook her head. "No but if I only listened to you earlier then none of this would have happened."

"I would have come here with you regardless of what happened. I saw that smile on your face when we started eating breakfast and you were actually enjoying yourself so how could I to take that away from you? It's been a long time since I saw you smile like that Hermione."

Hermione looked away, a slight blush on her cheeks. "Let's get you cleaned up Harry." She pulled out her wand but before she could get off the first syllable, Harry just waved his hand on top of his clothes and they were suddenly dried. Hermione looked at him with widened eyes and slowly touched the fabric on his shirt. "It's not even sticky." She pointed out.

Harry then turned his attention to the entrance and waved his hand once more. He reached for Hermione's hand and pulled her along as they heard several angry outbursts coming inside the Great Hall. Hermione let Harry pull her along but her mind was more focused on the fact that Harry just performed wandless magic again.

"What did you do to them Harry?"

"They got what they deserved." Harry replied, "I don't like bullies. This world has enough problems and we shouldn't be adding on top of it. What I did to them was just enough to teach them a lesson but for now, it'll have to do. There's only so many times you can educate someone before you consider moving to extreme measures."

Hermione frowned but she did agree with Harry's assessment. "I still think that if we left them alone, they would have gotten bored and moved on. If we don't sink to their level, eventually they would realize that it's not as much fun as they thought it was. We should always strive be the bigger person Harry."

"Then what about Voldemort?" Harry asked. "What about the people that he tormented and murdered? Shouldn't they deserve some kind of justice? Look Hermione, I'm not trying to say that you're wrong and I think that being a bigger person shows maturity but that doesn't work in all cases. If we allow one bully to stand, then others will follow."

"But these are our peers that you're talking about Harry. They're not even on the same level as the dark lord. I'm just worried that they might retaliate and you would get in trouble for this."

"You let me worry about that Hermione. Even though I don't know Ron anymore, I know his type. He's like Draco if you can imagine that. They're insecure and rash which makes them predictable. He won't run to Mcgonagall. It'll be fine." Harry answered, trying to reassure her. "I've dealt with bigger pest problems than Draco and Ron combined. Besides, did you ever do something about those girls who played that cruel prank on you?"

"No, I couldn't."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not you Harry! I can't do the things that you can do and I'm no one special. No one cares if little Hermione Granger gets picked on. That's just the cruel reality that we live in."

"So let's do something about it." Harry replied as they walked through the castle and out to the school grounds. "Let's show Lavender and everyone else that you can't mess with Hermione Granger and just expect to just walk away from it without paying a price."

"But I-"

"No buts Hermione. If you want to drop it, then we'll drop it but I want you to understand that you're not alone anymore. I'm your friend and if you say the word, I'm going to take care of it for you. This is what friends do for each other. We have each others back."

"Then what about Ron? What happened between you two?"

"We changed." Harry explained. "I wanted to do something different with my life and he was against changing what we have. We were at an impasse and I knew the only way to move forward was to let go. I had to walk away from everything but do you know what the hardest thing that I had to do was?"

"I can't imagine what that could be." Hermione softly said. "I'm just so sorry that you had to go through it alone Harry."

Harry laughed and pulled her down to sit on top of the blanket that he conjured up. "You always know what to say Hermione. That's why letting you go was the hardest thing that I had to do. Losing your friendship was one of the worst things that happened to me. Not being able to talk or see you... It broke me inside."

Hermione was speechless. To hear that their friendship meant something to Harry filled her with happiness that a smile threatened to split from her face. For as long as she can remember, making friends never came easy to her. They were always put off by how smart she was which led to them isolating her. That was probably why she was so comfortable with Harry. Deep down, her body recognized that they were similar in nature. Like two halves of the same coin.

"But why didn't you tell me?" Hermione quietly asked. "I could have helped you. We could have found a solution."

"After what happened with Ginny and then Cedric, I knew couldn't involve you. It just cemented my belief that keeping you in the dark was the safest choice. I know now that it wasn't the right choice but the idea of losing you was something that I won't risk. If it meant sacrificing me just to keep you safe, I would do it again in the heartbeat. I could care less about anything else but just knowing that you would be able to have a life after this war was more than enough for me to keep fighting. To keep moving forward."

"I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for me." Hermione firmly said, grabbing his hand. "Promise me that you won't do something stupid like that."

While Harry didn't give her a verbal answer, she saw the hesitation in his eyes that spoke volumes to her. While she didn't know the true extent of this war, she knows what war does to a person. It's a horrid thing to experience and for someone like Harry, who is so young be dragged into it, it made her heart ache. Knowing that Harry couldn't promise that to her, she then changed it to something more suitable for him.

"If you can't promise me that then promise me that you won't keep anything from me Harry. I want to be able to help you whenever you need help."

Harry solemnly nodded. Leave it to Hermione to be able to read him like a book, just like when they were younger. He gave her a small smile and then looked beyond the horizon, towards the lake. "I can't predict how this war will turn out Hermione but what I can do is give you the same promise that you just gave me. To help you as you need it."

The two just smiled and turned their attention away from each other. Hermione felt her cheeks heat up and looked away. In some sense, she was extremely glad that Harry was back in her life but a little bit of her was concerned about his future. It didn't seem fair to her that for someone so young, his destiny was already set. Hermione then swore to herself that no matter what happens in the future, she was going to stand by his side.

It was the least she can do for him.

* * *

Rinse and Repeat.


	5. Family

Rough time putting this chapter together. Too many ideas but eventually ended up here. Also - this is the fifth chapter so please let me know how the story is progressing. I'll be doing this every 5 chapters or so.

* * *

For the first time in so many years, Hermione actually found herself enjoying her time at Hogwarts. It surprised her as well but ever since Harry came back into her life, she was spending a little bit less time studying and more time catching up with him. To her, it was almost like Harry never left. They picked up from where they originally left off and all the weird feelings that she had about him disappeared soon after. The more time she spent with Harry, the more that she realized just how much she missed him. The way that he would show up randomly to pick her up from class or the way that he would listen to her rant about her problems. It made her feel special.

During the week they would spend their nights in the library. She would be studying for her classes and Harry would be writing down random bits of information that she would randomly mumble. When she asked him why he did that, Harry just said that it was fun to keep track of how her brain works. Hermione rolled her eyes but nevertheless, enjoyed the company. Despite spending so much time together, Hermione came to understand that this Harry was completely different from the boy that she used to know. She couldn't put her finger on it but there was something off about her friend.

It wasn't until later on that she realized that Harry was an incredibly private person. There were times when he can be very forthcoming but when topics about his family came up, he would tense up momentarily and then change the subject. At first, Hermione thought it was because he was being shy but soon realized that he just didn't want to talk about them. Hermione tried to bring it up on several occasions but Harry was always able to steer the conversation in a different direction. Needlessly to say, that was one of their more embarrassing conversations that she made him swear never to bring up again.

Over the course of their renewed friendship, Hermione found out several things about her friend that she didn't know about. One of them being that he was considered an honorary house elf within Hogwarts. She immediately pulled out her S.P.E.W badge and forced it into his hands. What she also didn't know was that he vanished that badge when she turned around.

Another thing she found out was the reason why her classmates avoid Harry like the plague. It was due to the rumor about Harry being prophesied to become the next dark lord. Hermione definitely heard this rumor before and at the time chuckled at the ludicrous notion. When she asked him how that rumor got started, Harry merely shrugged and then explained to her that during their third year, when the dementors were swarming the castle, he was surrounded by a few of them and after casting the Patronus Charm to drive them away, several students saw them fleeing from him and assumed that they were under his command instead.

She of course scoffed at the story but still made him promise to teach her that specific spell. This led to them being up before dawn on Thursday morning where they were outside the school learning how to properly cast the Patronus Charm.

"No no. You're not supposed to think about magic Hermione." Harry lectured. He took the wand from Hermione and pocketed it into his robes. "This isn't the type of spell that requires you to think about it before casting. You need to be able to feel it. Let those feelings wash over you and embrace it."

"Harry..." Hermione growled in response. "You're going to feel it in the next three seconds if you don't give me back my wand."

Harry smirked and gave back her wand. "Is that how you treat your professors Hermione? I don't know if I should be worried or afraid of you. Maybe both."

"You should be afraid Potter but given the complexity of this spell, I didn't expect myself to cast this on the first try."

"Regardless if it's your first try or your one hundredth try, what matters most to me is making sure that you're able to cast this. Let's start from the beginning again. What is the Patronus charm?"

Hermione sighed and rubbed the temples of her head. She made a mental note later to kick her tutor in the shin for enjoying this way too much. On some level, she might suspect that Harry was secretly a sadistic person. Humoring him, she recited back to him the text that she read last night. "The Patronus charm is a ridiculous advanced spell used to ward against dark creatures such as Dementors and Lethifolds. It's also noted that this is a beyond newt-level spell that most people cannot even cast."

"Right." Harry nodded. "Now before casting, you must remember that the spell requires you to focus on your happiest memory. The stronger it is, the more powerful your Patronus will be."

"Okay, so think about the happiest memory while drawing circles and say Expecto Patronum." Hermione looked towards Harry who nodded back at her. She took a deep breath and began to focus. She found one memory that she was particularly fond of and began drawing circles with her wand before saying the incantation. Her eyes widened when nothing happened. "What did I do wrong?" She asked.

"You're not doing it correctly. I noticed that you lost focus of that memory after the incantation. You have to remember that in order for this to work, you must stay focused."

Hermione nodded and tried again. This time, she concentrated fully on that memory but she still didn't get the desired results. "It still didn't work."

Harry saw the dejected look on her face and he tried to think of a way to cheer her up. "It's alright Hermione. We both knew the difficulty of this going in. There's a reason why this spell is considered beyond newt-level."

He was about to have Hermione try again when a voice interrupted their session.

"Ah you were so close Miss Granger but that is no fault of yours. Harry here while headstrong that he is, never understood the requirements. In order for this particular spell to work, you need to think of a memory. Not just any memory, a very happy memory, a very powerful memory… Allow it to fill you up... lose yourself in it... then speak the incantation 'Expecto Patronum'."

The two of them suddenly turned their head towards the new voice and smiled for different reasons.

"Professor Lupin! Miss Tonks! Teddy!"

"Remus. Nymphadora. Teddy."

Hermione turned back to Harry with a surprised look on her face. He gave her an equally puzzling look as well. "How do you know them Harry?" She asked, beating him to the punch.

Harry wasn't able to answer as Teddy launched himself head first into his stomach. He let out a small cough before pulling Teddy into a headlock and dragged him down to the ground to mock wrestle the boy.

"Get him Teddy! Use the special move I taught you!" Tonks yelled as she ran past Hermione to cheer for her son. Hermione stared at her friend with a shocked expression. Tonks remained oblivious as her attention was focused on the fight. "Remember what I told you son! If you're not cheating, you're not trying!"

Hermione then turned to Remus for help who only looked on with amusement on his face. He waved her over and chuckled at his former student. "It's from my personal experience that when this happens, it's best that we let the situation play out. It would be better for our own sanity than theirs."

"But what about Teddy? Aren't you afraid that Harry is going to injure your son?" Hermione asked, her eyes currently focused on Harry. She winced when Teddy bit into his arm. That one was going to leave a mark.

"I'm positive that Harry can survive a few scratches. What kind of godfather would he be if he can't keep his godson in line?"

"Sorry hold on for a minute." Hermione said as she took a step back and stared at her former professor. "Did you say godson? That Harry is his godfather? When did this even happen? I didn't even know that you guys knew each other."

"We're old family friends." Remus replied before he noticed that Teddy was starting to use the head-butt technique that his wife secretly taught him. "Excuse me for a moment Hermione. I have to go break up this match before Harry puts his godson in the infirmary again."

"Godfather huh..." She whispered. "Is there anything in your life that won't surprise me Harry?"

While Hermione stood there watching the boys, Tonks took the opportunity to walk away from them to catch up with her husband's favorite student. "Wotcher Hermione. It's been a while."

Hermione smiled in return. "Yes it has. How are you Tonks? Is Teddy keeping you busy?"

"Can't complain too much. The munchkin is getting bigger every day." Tonks replied as she gave the girl a quick hug. "Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, how do you know our residential savior? Did Mr. Dark and mysterious help with an itch that you couldn't scratch?"

"Excuse me?"

"You know what I mean Hermione." Tonks winked at the young woman. "Never in a million years would I have expected the two of you to be shacking up. He's a little too moody for my taste but hey, I'm not judging. How did you lot know each other anyway?"

"Remember that boy that I told you about during my first year? How we were inseparable back then?"

"Oh yes I remember now. Wait are you telling me that that boy was Harry? That's damn impressive Hermione. Not a lot of people get a second chance with their first love. I'm sure the benefits with Harry were orgasmic."

It took a few seconds for Hermione realized what her friend was implying. "We're not that kind of friends Tonks!" Hermione yelled. The males in the vicinity looked up with confused expressions on their face. Hermione quickly turned around, hiding the blush away from them.

Remus dusted himself off as he walked back over. "I wish you stop teaching our son those wrestling moves dear."

Tonks snorted. "Only when that git stop uses the N word. I warned you lot and yet no one bothers to listen. Well I'm done playing nice!"

"He's only saying your name..."

"Are you on his side or mine?" Tonks asked in a threatening tone. Remus held his hands up in defeat. "That's what I thought."

"He looks so peaceful." Hermione commented as she watched Harry laugh and roll on the ground with Teddy. The way that he smiled and laugh made her heart skip a beat. This was the Harry that she remembered. The Harry who didn't have the weight of the world on his shoulders and was just a normal boy who wanted to learn about magic.

"So before my husband rudely interrupted me, what happened between the two of you? Harry never talked much about his life so what we know about him was from his godfather."

Hermione's eyes lingered a moment longer on Harry before turning her attention back to the couple. "It's a little complicated but we were actually friends during our first year here. We... lost contact after that but it was only recently that we became friends again. It's ironic actually. The first time we met, he saved my life from a troll and the second time we met, he was saving my life again."

The Lupins shared a look that Hermione didn't noticed. Remus narrowed his eyes while Tonks grabbed onto her husband's arm to stop him from growling. She muttered something incoherently and Remus calmed down.

"Isn't Harry a little bit too young to be a godfather?" Hermione asked. "Won't that be a lot of responsibility for him?

"It was actually Harry's godfather that suggested the idea. He thought it would be funny to see his godson run around freaking out for a while but in the end, we all agreed that this would be something that Harry needs in his life." Remus explained, grateful for the change of subject. "It'll be good for Harry to know that despite everything that's happening outside these gates, there's going to be someone that's waiting for him to come home."

"Although I think that if little missy here has her way, I don't think we would need Teddy." Tonks said, chiming in.

Hermione felt her cheeks go red again. "I told you we're not like that!" She muttered. "He's.. Well.. Someone very important to me... and -"

"Well Remus is my best friend and I married that poor sod." Tonks replied. "And I think Harry's future would look much brighter if he knew about your intentions Hermione."

They watched as their young friend started stuttering and much to Tonk's amusement, she stopped the conversation before Harry walked back over, carrying Teddy on his shoulder.

"Stop teaching him useless moves Nymphadora."

Remus shot Harry a pleading look not to irritate his wife but Tonks, on the other hand, already had her wand out. "Say it again Harry. I dare you."

Hermione and Remus wisely stepped back while Teddy was rooting for his Uncle Harry to win. Tonks glared at her son before circling Harry. "I was trained by the best Potter. You haven't got a chance in hell. Maybe if you asked nicely, I'll make this quick."

"I doubt it but at least my name isn't Nymphadora." Harry retorted. Tonks let out a primal yell in response and tossed her wand at Remus. His eyes followed the wand for a split second and then he felt her plow into him. She quickly started tickling his sides and laughter erupted from his lips.

Hermione turned to her former professor and found him looking nostalgic. "Are you okay professor?" She asked.

Remus merely nodded. "Just seeing Harry like this... It reminded me of his godfather and the kind of life that Harry could have had. It breaks my heart knowing that he has to suffer because of the choices that were made by other people. For what it's worth Hermione, I'm glad that you're back in his life."

Hermione could only nod her head. She was glad that he was back in her life as well.

* * *

With a promise to Teddy that the both of them would be joining him for dinner soon, the Lupins left with Tonks giving a wink to Hermione. Harry had a puzzled expression on his face that Hermione ignored and the two proceeded to make their way back to the castle.

Hermione thought back to earlier this morning and a smile graced her lips. "It was nice to see you so carefree Harry."

"Was it?" Harry closed his eyes and sighed in return. "Does it make me a monster if I have to do terrible things in order to shield my godson and everyone that I care about from the evil? "

Hermione stayed silent, unsure of how to answer him. Growing up, she was taught the difference between right and wrong, good and evil but her parents also explained to her that no matter what happens, two wrongs do not make a right. That it was always better to be the bigger person in any situation because at the end of the day, the only person that you need to answer to is yourself. Hearing Harry's dilemma made her question that belief.

Harry didn't expect an answer from her so he continued walking, taking a left turn instead of a right which confused Hermione and she quickly followed along.

"Are you afraid that he won't understand Harry?" Hermione quietly asked.

"I'm afraid... that after all this... I won't be able to go back to the person that I used to be... People are expecting a savior Hermione. They expect Harry Potter, the boy who lived, to save everyone but I don't know if I can Hermione. I've failed so many times, so many deaths are on my hands and I know it's not going to get better. It's not going to be better until Voldemort's dead." Harry slumped his shoulders and stopped in front of a brown wooden door. "I'm just so tired Hermione..."

Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat. This was what she was afraid of. She had a feeling that the Harry that she saw was just a facade, one that the real Harry created in order to shield himself from the world. From the moment that she first saw him in that forest, there was this nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something was off. She just didn't understand it until now.

"Harry..." Hermione gently whispered. She looked into his eyes and saw nothing but the pain that he was going through. Taking this chance, she pulled him into a tight hug. At first, she felt his body tense up but that didn't deter her. She knew that Harry was uncomfortable with intimate contact but she needed him to know that she wasn't going anywhere. The promise that they made... it was a promise that she intends to keep until her last breathe.

"Hermione..."

Hermione heard him whispering her name but she ignored him and leaned into the embrace, letting her head rest against his chest. "I believe that you're a good man Harry Potter."

"You don't know that."

"I do know because I can feel it in your magic and most importantly, I can feel it within your heart. You may think that you're losing sight of what you're fighting for Harry but I'm always going to be right here guiding you back."

Hermione felt him chuckle and she inwardly smiled. She then released her arms and took a step back to look at Harry. There was a small smile plastered on his face but it was progress. Little by little, she was going to show Harry that despite his skepticism, there was going to be a future waiting for him.

"Harry... why are we in the dungeons?" She slowly asked.

"I'm pretty sure that you've been wondering where I've been staying since I left the Gryffindor tower so..." Harry pointed towards the door. "This is it."

"This is where they put you?" She asked again. Anger began to seep into her voice. "Down here in the dungeons, away from everyone else? Whose stupid idea was this!?"

"Dumbledore." Harry answered.

"Why would the headmaster put you here? Surely there are other rooms in the castle that they can have you stay in. We can appeal this Harry."

Harry shook his head. "What's done is done Hermione. I've made my peace with it." He took out his wand and tapped his door twice. The wooden door glowed a light pinkish hue before disappearing. "Now you have access to my room Hermione. I keyed you into my wards so you can visit whenever you want. I'm mostly in here if I'm not training or with you."

No matter how she tried to imagine this to be comfortable or livable, she couldn't. The idea that her friend was down here by himself did not sit well with her. It was almost like Dumbledore was specifically isolating him away from everyone else.

"I prefer to be alone Hermione." Harry said, interrupting her thoughts.

Hermione frowned but dropped the subject. She took one last look around and decided that this dark and gloomy Harry was not the Harry that she liked. In fact, she decided that she was going to do something about it. Starting with this weekend.

"Can you promise to keep your Saturday free for me Harry?"

Harry gave her a confused look but nodded anyway. She smiled in return and wished him a good night. There was a lot of things that she had to do before Saturday.

* * *

Thanks for reading.


	6. Realization

Thank you all for the reviews.

* * *

Just a few seconds ago, Harry felt a presence in his room that knocked him out of his dreamless sleep but he paid no attention to it. He intentionally pulled the covers closer to his face, desperately wishing that it was his invisibility cloak instead. All he wanted was a few more minutes of sleep given the late night training session with Dumbledore. With his eyes closed, he held onto a small glimmer of hope that the person in his room would eventually leave.

"Harry."

The voice softly called out his name. Of course he knew who was in his room. She was the only person other than him that was keyed into the wards. Harry kept his eyes firmly closed and ignored her.

"Harry."

His brain begged him not to give in. Not to leave the warm comforts of his bed but he knew this was a battle he would not win. Before he could take another breathe, Hermione was already standing next to him, a firm grip on his covers. Harry didn't need to open his eyes to know that she had a mischievous smirk on her face.

"Last chance Mr. Potter."

His fingers tugged on the covers gently, hoping that she wasn't going to do what he thought she was.

"Why?" Harry weakly asked. That was the only word that his brain was actually able to process in his semi-conscious state.

Hermione merely responded by yanking the covers off, forcing Harry to go into the fetal position. Her eyes widened as she just realized that Harry doesn't sleep with a shirt on and quickly averted her gazed. She couldn't help but to take notice of the tone physique that Harry had. The mental picture of her friend shirtless was quickly dismissed but what she couldn't forget was the numerous scars on his body. There were a few smaller ones around his biceps and collar bone but the one that probably hurt the most was the longer one on his right forearm.

She wondered what kind of trouble Harry got himself into to deserve a scar like that.

Harry grunted out a response as his body automatically walk into the bathroom. He grabbed a shirt from the table before walking in and let out a loud yawn. "Why are you here so early Hermione?" He asked in a hoarse voice. "If it's for training, I'm sorry but can we do it later? I just got back a few hours ago and my body is begging for some more sleep."

"Would you be terribly upset with me if I told you I wanted to do something else today?"

"Hmm...?" Harry poked his head out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth. "What did you have in mind?"

The young witch smiled and then chucked some clothes that she selected earlier at him. "Just change already Harry."

Moments later, Harry exited the bathroom with the clothes that Hermione pre-selected and she ushered him down to the front gates of the castle. He asked her several questions about their destination but she merely hushed him every time he asked. It was only when they reached the front gates that he finally took notice.

"Are we there yet?" He asked again.

Hermione shook her head in disbelief but nevertheless smiled. "We're going to Hogsmeade Harry!"

Harry stopped mid-stepped when she mentioned their destination. From the corner of his eye, he saw Dumbledore standing by the window of his office and the two exchanged glances. They had this talk multiple times in the past that involved the risks of him leaving the castle. As the war with Voldemort came closer, there were more and more attacks out in the open as a ploy to draw him out. They both agreed that if Harry chose to go out, he needed to be very careful.

"...Harry?" Hermione tapped him on the shoulders to get his attention. "Are you okay? If it's a bad idea, we don't have to go. I'm so sorry, I should have asked you first."

"No. It's alright. It's good to get out and see why everyone talks about this place."

Hermione looked at Harry once more, making sure that he was actually okay with it. Harry didn't wait and took her by hand and pulled her into the carriage. "You have to stop apologizing Hermione. You're smart enough to know that if I didn't want to go, then I wouldn't be going."

"So have you ever been to Hogsmeade then Harry?"

"Not really. What's so special about that place?"

Hermione looked at him with widened eyes and proceeded to tell him everything that she knew about Hogsmeade and why all the students love it. She explained that if a student has written consent from their guardians, they were allowed to start visiting it during their third year. It was like a break from the school where the only adult supervision were the shopkeepers. Hogsmeade weekend is usually a few times a year and its one of the events that students look forward to, including herself.

When the carriage stopped, Harry stepped off first and held his hand for Hermione. The picture of Harry shirtless came back and she shook her head, dismissing the mental image before accepting his hand. She could feel the rough calluses and it made her wonder just how much harder he works compared to everyone else. It must be extremely lonely to continuously push yourself without an outlet. Even when she was studying, she found relief in talking with several of her professors who always took the time to invite her to chat.

"Wow..." Harry whispered as they walked into the village. From what he could recall from his only visit to Diagon Alley, this place was much smaller but it had a friendlier vibe to it which he felt the moment he walked past the entrance. "This is almost like Diagon Alley except with more people..."

Hermione nodded and watched Harry smile like a child that was experiencing Christmas for the first time. It made her heart melt just to see that there was still some innocence left in him. She couldn't help but get swept up in his excitement as she took the lead and dragged him further into the village. "There's so much to do here Harry and we have all day so why don't we just explore the place and if you see anything that you like, we can go check it out."

"Anything's fine with me." Harry answered, still taking in the sights.

At the same time, Hermione was very much aware that she was still holding onto his hands. She had to remind herself to breathe and act natural as she did her best to be his tour guide. As they strolled through the village, Hermione pointed out several stores that sold unique items that would make wonderful holiday gifts.

"Do you need to buy any gifts this year Harry?"

"Not really." Harry softly replied.

"What about your guardians? Do you think they would like something from the magical world? Perhaps some enchanted household items or maybe some books about quidditch? My father goes mad for that."

"I said no." He answered, harsher than he intended. He took a deep breath and apologized. "Sorry, I just don't like talking about my home life."

"Is everything okay Harry?" Hermione asked. She pulled him aside and stood in front of a jewelry store that sold different types of designs. She noticed that his demeanor changed and he had a guarded expression on his face. "I know that it's hard for you to talk about your private life but we're supposed to be friends Harry. It's a give and take relationship but lately it feels like I'm the only one giving. It's hard for me to actually know more about you if you don't let me in Harry."

"There's nothing to say about my personal life Hermione. It's boring and uninteresting. Let's just change the subject."

She looked at him for a moment longer and then nodded her head. "Fine." Still holding on to his hand, she dragged him into a bookstore and her mood instantly brightened. She was no longer frustrated with their conversation just moments ago and dropped his hand to go browse the store.

Harry mentally sighed and cursed inwardly at himself. In the back of his mind, he knew that the blame fell to both Dumbledore and himself. Every choice that was made in his life was for one purpose and one purpose only. To the downfall of Voldemort. Dumbledore might have laid out the plan for him to follow but it was ultimately his decision to go through with it.

He kept telling himself that it was already too late to change but that was just a poor excuse. Before he saw Hermione again, his life only consisted of training and preparation for the upcoming war. Nothing else was relevant but when she came back into his life, he realized that she was that glimmer of hope that he was looking for.

Hope to see a better tomorrow.

His eyes soon found themselves on Hermione as he watched her wander between sections of the store, lingering between fiction and nonfiction. Harry slowly followed her around the store, taking note of the things that she might have found interesting. Ever since she mentioned the holidays, he wanted to get her a gift as a way to show her that he did care about their friendship. That it wasn't just a one way street like she described but the main problem was the gift. What should he even get her?

If Sirius was here, he would have recommended some kind of jewelry and a bottle of fire whiskey to see where the night would lead to. Luckily for him, Harry did not take after his godfather in that aspect and decided to pick something that reminded him of Hermione but what do you pick for someone like her?

Harry pondered the question for a bit and then smiled. He knew exactly what to get her.

* * *

Hermione knew that she was being unfair but she couldn't help it. She didn't understand why it was so hard for Harry to open up. In her mind, he was her best friend and best friends do not keep secrets from each other. Was it because of everything that was going on with Harry's life that required him to be like that? Hermione pondered on that idea and then wondered if he would like to spend Christmas and the holidays with her family. It would him a chance to unwind and relax.

The more she thought about that idea, the more of a possibility that it could actually happen. Her mom would definitely be okay with it but what about her father? Hermione was pretty sure that he wouldn't do anything rash... but then again, he owned several weapons in his den back from his hunting days but surely her mother would be able to keep him in check...

She cursed herself for not thinking about this sooner. She could have just sent a letter to her parents asking for permission but she was afraid that the longer she waited, the less that Harry would agree and given their earlier discussion about the holidays, it did not seem like he enjoyed them too much. That was something that she vowed to change.

After a few minutes, Hermione noticed that Harry wasn't following behind her anymore. In fact, she didn't think he was even in the store anymore. A small feeling of panic rose in her chest as she searched for Harry. Just as she was about to yell out his name, several loud commotions outside drew her attention and she stepped out to find Harry... with Neville.

"Harry? Neville? What's going on here?" Hermione slowly asked, sensing the tense situation between her two friends.

Neville looked up to see Hermione and then glared at Harry. "What are you doing here Harry? This is no place for someone like you."

"Last time I checked, I am a student of Hogwarts unless that somehow changed in the last two minutes." Harry replied curtly. "And since Hogsmeade is opened to all students, I figure I would check it out to see what's so good about it."

Hermione looked past the crowd and saw Hannah standing behind Neville. "Hey Hannah... Do you know what's going on here?"

The young witch saw Hermione approaching her and quickly pulled out her wand to do a scan. "Thank goodness you're alright Hermione. Neville and I were walking into the bookstore and we saw the both of you in there so he pulled Harry outside to get him away from you. I can't imagine what could have happened if Neville didn't act the way he did. You could have gotten seriously hurt Hermione. You need to stay away from Harry. He's a dangerous person."

"What? That's preposterous." Hermione started to defend her friend. This was getting out of hand. With this many people around, it would be the perfect time to set the record straight here. They needed to know that all those rumors about Harry was completely false.

"I hold no ill will towards you Harry but you need to leave now. For everyone's sake. Your presence here is a big security risk and you know it. What if you know who randomly pops up? Are you willing to risk everyone's life just so you can have a little stroll around the village?"

"Don't be rude Neville! You know as well as I do that Harry has a right to be here." Hermione interjected. "In fact, he's here because I asked him to be."

Neville looked torn between her and his duty to protect. "Please stay out of his Hermione. This is not about you right now. This is about everyone here at Hogsmeade. Every children and adult is affected. If word got out that Harry Potter was walking around here without Dumbledore, it would be open season and there will be a lot of casualties. Can you tell me that you would allow this?"

"Of course not but Harry is just Harry! He has done nothing to warrant any of this!"

"Shush Hermione!" Hannah harshly whispered. "Don't say another word right now! Just listen to me. I know that you barely follow the politics surrounding the magical community but you can't say something like that. Harry has a sworn duty to this world and everyone is expecting him to do it."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "That is the most absurd thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth Hannah Abbott."

"It's not absurd when it's true." Neville replied. "Knowing him is as good as signing your death warrant. Death Eaters will come looking for him because he is the savior and if they find out that you're helping Harry, then they're going to kill you Hermione. They are the kind of people won't think twice about murdering innocents like Cedric Diggory and Percy Weasley."

Hermione looked to Harry who remained silent through all this. His face was expressionless but she noticed that his hands were clenched into a fist. She needed to reach out to him but she wasn't take another step thanks to Hannah. She tried to push her way through but Harry shook his head.

"I never asked to be your savior." Harry finally answered, his voice clear and strong. "I never wanted to be your savior."

"That doesn't matter now. Fate decided that you were our savior from the moment you defeated him as a baby. We can't run from who we're meant to be Harry."

"Stop. Stop being scared of a damn name. His name is Tom flipping Riddle or do you prefer to call him Voldemort."

The crowd gasped and people took a step back, looking around nervously. "Leave Potter! You're just going to make this worse." Someone from the crowd shouted and then a snowball flew, pegging Harry on the back of his head.

Harry's head recoiled from the impact and his glasses were knocked off, falling fast to the ground. Hermione held her hands to her mouth and gasped. From where she was standing, she saw that inside the snowball, someone put a rock into it.

For the longest time, no one moved or said anything. The people in the front were caught by surprise and then Harry's magic flared. Hermione recognized the feeling of his magic and pushed forward, wanting to help him.

"Harry!" She shouted but before she could take any steps forward, Neville blocked her path and pulled her back. "Let go!" She yelled, struggling against him.

"Don't be stupid Hermione. Look at him! He's liable to hurt you! Potter needs to leave right now before he causes a riot."

Harry looked up and his green eyes flashed with magic for a brief moment. "Just because I'm this world's savior Longbottom... Doesn't mean I have to save everyone..." Harry snarled. "If this is what the next generation of witches and wizards have to offer, maybe I should just let Voldemort win."

"You wouldn't dare." Neville angrily replied. "Death and destruction follows you around like an old friend Potter. Why don't you use that for something other than hurting the people around you!"

Hermione took this chance to pushed passed Neville. "Harry! Harry look at me." She pleaded. "I know you're not like that. You're a good person. Don't listen to any of them."

"Go back to the castle Potter before it gets worse." People started chanting. "Leave Potter leave!"

Harry picked up his broken glasses and sighed. "Life is so bullshit." He whispered to himself before disappearing with a pop, leaving Hermione yelling for his name.

* * *

Hope it was enjoyable.


	7. Growth

Thanks All. Enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Never before did she feel so helpless in a situation like that. She should have done something... anything... to help Harry but she knew that it would have done more harm than good. She was ready to pull out her wand to start stunning people but Harry silently stopped her from reaching her holster. There was a look of surprise on her face when she realized what he did.

That idiot. That blundering idiot.

Didn't he understand by now that she didn't care about the opinion of her peers? None of that matters if he was there standing with her. Nothing else would have mattered if he was there to be her friend...

Hermione felt so disgusted with everyone. Her hands were actually shaking as she tried to control her anger. Her eyes darted around and saw that once Harry disappeared, so did the rest of the crowd with the exception of a few who lingered around.

Out of those few people, her eyes immediately locked onto the person responsible for starting this mess.

"What the hell was that?!" Hermione roared, focusing her anger on the one person who started this entire mess. She marched up to Neville and looked him straight in the eye. "Who do you think you are Neville Longbottom! What gives you the right to attack someone like that!?"

"Now hold on." Hannah said, stepping between her boyfriend and Hermione. "You can't yell at Neville like that. He is the heir to the house of Longbottom. You need to show him some respect!"

"Do you really think I give a damn about his pedigree right now? You need to wait your damn turn Hannah Abbott! I'm going to be getting to you in a moment so be a good dog and wait!"

The two of them took a step back, surprised by the anger that was radiating off her. Neville swallowed the lump in his throat and stood in front of his girlfriend. "I was doing what was in the best interest of everyone Hermione. Surely you cannot blame me for standing up for what I believed was right."

"Standing up? You call that standing up?" Hermione's eyes flared with renewed anger. "Where were you when I was being bullied? Where was your 'standing up for justice' speech when I was all alone?"

Neville broke eye contact and turned his head slightly. He felt Hannah give him a gentle squeeze on his arm as reassurance but he couldn't look his friend in the face. Hannah decided that this charade has gone on long enough.

"You need to back away Hermione -"

"I said shut your face Hannah!" Hermione retorted. "Harry was right about you lot. You think that you're better than Slytherins but truth be told, you guys are actually beneath them. At least with people like Draco, you know where he stands from day one instead of finding out years later down the line."

Neville's face turned red as he started stuttering. "H-how dare you compare me to him! I am nothing like Draco! Do you not realize the implications of what might have happened if Harry stayed here?"

"Implications? Are you out of your mind!? The only thing that I saw was a mob of our peers ready to threaten Harry if he doesn't step up and save the wizarding world from their own mistakes! What does that even say for our own government if they can't even handle one little problem like that? I find it very disappointing that for all the power that the purebloods are sprouting, they have to rely on Harry to fix their problems!"

"Because that's his destiny." Neville sharply replied. "You know as well as I do that the final showdown will be between Harry and you know who regardless of what happens. Don't be stupid here Hermione. I am only trying to spare you and everyone else from this war. The sooner he does his job, the sooner we can be at peace."

Hermione blinked her eyes a couple of times, trying to make sure that she heard him correctly. "Peace? How can you talk about peace when you're forcing Harry to make that sacrifice? How can you tell your own children that while you were off hiding in some broom closet, you let someone else do the job for you? Can you even look yourself in the mirror after that?"

"If it means that my children can grow up in an era where there is no more wars then I will gladly pay the price and by the way since we're talking about being fair, do you think it's fair of Harry to just walk away from all this and let someone else take his place? After all that he's done so far? Who do you think will volunteer? Everyone is scared of the dark lord Hermione. You might find one or two foolhardy people but in the end, they're just going to fall because they're not Harry Potter. The boy who lived. There is no one else for this job and you know it! This responsibility falls to him and only him. If it was me, then I would have done my duty without any complaints."

"If it was you?" Hermione snorted and then laughed. "You couldn't be half the man that Harry is. In fact, I still remember you being that lost and confused little boy who couldn't survive his first year without us. Harry might appear to be cold and distance but that's because of what you lot did to him. If he chooses not to save this world then I will happily stand by his side watching it burn with him."

Hannah gasped and gripped onto Neville's arm. "Watch what you say you bookworm! Do you think that Harry is what he claims to be? I bet you don't even know half the things about him."

"Then enlighten me Hannah. Please tell this little humble bookworm about the things that you do know about Harry Potter. What kind of dark and nefarious thing does he have planned for the rest of mere mortals?"

Hannah looked flustered at the condescending remark. "Mark my words Hermione. No one will shed a single tear for you when Potter shows his true colors."

"Hannah." Neville said, shooting her a warning look. "Just tell her what you know."

The young witch sighed and then looked at Hermione. "While you spent your time in the library, a few of us has been monitoring Potter closely. My sources have claimed that they've seen him walking around the castle during the wee hours, sticking his nose in places where he doesn't belong such as sneaking into private offices and into restricted areas. We think he's plotting something big to happen but we're not sure what yet."

Hermione held back a laugh. It was almost if she was describing Harry as James Bond, the secret agent to the queen. She gestured for the girl to continue with her story.

"And to top it off, both Susan and I saw him with Snape numerous times. Snape of all people! Everyone knows that Snape is not to be trusted. Slimy bastard. For all we know, they could be spies in our own castle, reporting back to you know who on everything that we do."

"That is the dumbest thing that I've ever heard and trust me, I've heard a lot over the years..." Hermione replied. "But I didn't think it was possible for anyone to be so ignorant. This is Harry that we're talking about. There is no way that he's working for the darklord."

"Then explain why Potter keeps going into the forbidden forest huh? There's no reason why anyone should be there and yet Potter continues to ignore the rules."

"How do you even know it was Harry that entered?"

"Your old friend Ron was outside that night with Lavender and they saw him strolling in like it was a walk on the beach." Hannah replied, a superior smirk on her face. "What do you have to say now huh?"

Hermione's eyes widened and then started laughing. "Your source is Ronald Weasley? The man child who has the intellectual IQ of all of Malfoy's goons combined? The same Ron who stuffs his face at every meal? That Ron?"

They looked away embarrassed after hearing that. "Ron is still a credible source." Hannah weakly protested. "I mean what would he gain by lying to everyone about Potter? Everyone knows that they aren't on the best of terms. Look at what happened a few weeks ago in the great hall."

"You're right." Hermione answered, nodding her head. "You are absolutely right."

Hannah smiled in return. "That's okay, everyone makes mistakes -"

"No not you Hannah. You two are still idiots."

Neville sighed and shook his head in disappointment. "What are you even doing Hermione? This is not like you at all. The fate of our future is resting on Harry's shoulder and you choose now to rebel against everything?"

"I'm only doing what you told me to do Neville." Hermione answered. "I'm standing up for what I believe in and I believe in Harry."

"You're making a mistake Hermione. I just hope that you won't regret it."

"Meeting Harry is something that I will never regret." Hermione said as she started walking away. She looked up into the sky and from that moment on, she knew what she needed to do. "My only regret was letting him go..." She whispered to one in particular.

* * *

After what happened at Hogsmeade, Hermione found herself rushing back to the castle to find Harry. In her mind, she was mentally going through a checklist of all the places Harry could have gone. The library, the area behind the school, his room and when he wasn't there, she started to panic. There was one last place that he could be but she couldn't understand why he would be there but she still had to check.

A strange sense of Déjà vu washed over her as her body slowly walked over to the entrance of the Forbidden Forest...

Hermione felt her own body quiver slightly as images from that night flashed before her eyes, the scars of the past still a distant memory but for her friend, she pushed it away. For her best friend, she was ready to step back into this place that once gave her nightmares.

Hermione took a deep breathe to calm her nerves. The things she would do for Harry...

"What are you doing here Hermione? I thought we agreed that you wouldn't come back here anymore. It's not safe you know."

Her body quickly turned around towards the familiar voice. "Harry?" Hermione asked. "Where are you?"

"Right here." Harry replied as he stepped into the light "Why are you here?"

"I'm here because my best friend needs me."

"...Best friend?"

"Yes you twit... you're my best friend Harry and I'll go wherever you go just to make sure that you're alright!" Hermione said, thankful that he couldn't see her cheeks blush in the dark. "I don't care if you don't consider me your best friend but you're mine."

Harry remained silent, caught by surprise by her words. He mulled over the idea for a few seconds and then sighed. Maybe Dumbledore was right. Maybe having friends right now wasn't the best option for him. He thought back to everything that happened and couldn't deny the fact that everything that happened was because of him. It was his fault that she suffered... He can't be the kind of friend that she needed him to be...

"I don't think we should be friends..." Harry quietly said. "You would be better off without me."

Hermione held her breath, shocked at his words. "...What are you... saying?"

"I said we should be friends any-" Harry started off saying before he felt a stinging sensation on his left cheek. His eyes widened when he realized that Hermione slapped him. "What the hell!"

"You are an insufferable ass Harry!" Hermione shouted, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Do you not even understand how much those words hurt? Why would you even think for a second that I want you out of my life?"

"Because these are the facts Hermione! Open your eyes! All of this mess, all this pain and suffering that you went through. It's all because of me!"

Hermione couldn't stop herself and grabbed his hand. "Look at me Harry... You can keep pushing me away but it's just a fight that you won't win. Ever. I can promise you that so just stop. Stop pushing me away and let me help you... Just tell me what you're so scared of?

Harry turned away, looking back in the direction of the forest. His heart pounded against his chest. He wanted to tell her that he was scared of the future. His future to be exact. When he tried looking at his life a few months from now, a year from now... everything was just black. He couldn't picture anything and that scared him a lot. When he lost Sirius... his world came crashing down and it was the darkest moment in his life. He pushed himself past his limits, fueled by revenge but it was eventually Remus who sorted him out.

Even now when he looks at Hermione, he's constantly reminded of Sirius. The thought of losing another person who is precious to him is unbearable.

Hermione took his silence as a chance to continue. "You know what my mother told me when I was scared? Fear is irrational. You just have to stop being afraid and be strong."

"This is different Hermione..." Harry answered. "This isn't about fear. This is about your life and if anything was to happen to you... I don't know what I would do... I don't know if I can let you help me..."

"Let me? You don't think you can let me help you?" Hermione sharply replied. "Are you out of your mind Harry? I am the smartest witch in our generation! You need me Harry. You won't be able to do this alone so the sooner that you stop pushing me away, the sooner that we can come up with a plan to win."

"Even if it means that you will be risking everything? Your family? Your life?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. It just means that I have to try even harder to make sure that you come back to us."

"You're going to be that annoying little angel that's going to be yelling at me while on my shoulder aren't you?" Harry said, a feint hint of humor laced into his voice. "The one that's going to be nagging me the entire way."

Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes when she heard him chuckle. She smiled and nodded her head. "Damn straight I am. Someone's got to keep you in check." She pulled him in closer to examine the red mark on his cheek. "I'm so sorry about that Harry... sometimes you just drive me insane you know." Her hands gently touched his face and he flinched a little. "Does it sting?"

Harry shook his head. "No it's alright. It's just a small price to be your... best friend."

Hermione's smile grew even bigger at hearing those words and then remembered what she wanted to ask him before all of this went down. "So what are your plans for the holidays Harry?"

"I'm going to be staying at Hogwarts as usual."

Hermione frowned at that. That was no good. She always thought that he always went home for the holidays, to spend him with his family but apparently that was not the case. She made a mental note to ask him about that later. "If you're not going home then how would you feel about spending the holidays with my family? I promise you won't be an inconvenience."

"I don't know if that's such a great idea Hermione. Despite everything that Neville said, he was right about one thing though..." Harry replied. "I would be putting your family at risk with me being there. I don't think I can live with myself if anything was to happen to them."

"Do you think he's honestly going to come into muggle world to come find you Harry? The last place he would ever expect to find you is with the muggles. From what I heard, he doesn't even see them as a threat, let along smart enough to hide someone as important as you." Hermione pointed out. "Promise me that you'll come."

Harry sighed in defeat. She did have a point. As far as anyone knew, they would assume that he would be spending his holidays locked away in Hogwarts. No one would even suspect him to go back into the muggle world. Those death eaters, as many as there were, wouldn't even think about the muggles. He mulled over the idea and then agreed. "With logic like that, how can I not agree Miss. Granger?"

"I'm glad that you're finally able to see it my way Mr. Potter. Now the only thing that I wish you would do more is to just listen to me without questioning my directives!" Hermione managed to get out before laughing at her own words. She pulled Harry into a tight hug and while she still felt him flinch, she didn't care.

She was going to make sure that he remains in her life... permanently.

* * *

Next time on Holding on to Hope; Ronald shows his face again.


	8. Stronger

Thank you for reading. Yeah it seems like I've been focused with Hermione but that's how I actually structured it anyway in my notes.

* * *

No matter where Hermione went, there was always someone that wanted to know what happened at Hogsmeade. Whether it was a student or a professor, she gave all of them the same answer.

Nothing happened at Hogsmeade.

While that answer might have satisfied a few people, the rest of the student population did not believe her story one bit. In fact, it's gotten to a point where people claimed that she conjured up a miniature dragon that attacked Neville. She scoffed at the story repeatedly saying that it was just a work of fiction but no one was willing to listen. In fact, most people started avoiding her as well.

The only one who was amused by all of this was Harry. Even though he said he wasn't laughing at her, she could still see the twinkle in his eyes and the slight smirk on his face so she punched him hard on his arm.

Eventually it was too much for Hermione so she sought sanctuary in the one place that always gave her peace and quiet. The library. With exams right around the corner, she had a stockpile of books surrounding her while Harry... was being Harry. There was no other way of describing it. No matter how many hours they spent in the library, he never once picked up a book. Even now as she feverishly flipped through several pages, Harry sat there playing with a Knut.

"How come I never see you studying for your classes Harry?" Hermione asked. "Are you not worried about the N.E.W.T Exams Harry?"

The question caught Harry by surprised and the coin that he was playing with dropped to the table. "Huh? Oh I don't need to study for them. There's nothing that they could teach me that I don't already know."

"Then why are you at Hogwarts if you're so advanced?" Hermione's eyes widened after the words left her lips. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that Harry." She quickly added, feeling flustered.

Harry laughed and waved it off. "I'm here because despite everything, Hogwarts is still the safest place for me. There are so many professors here who are masters at their craft that I can use as a resource but ultimately, this is the place where I can safely continue to development my magic. Like what I was doing with this Knut for example."

"I hardly call playing with a coin training Harry." Hermione dryly replied. "It's not all that impressive."

"Was I merely playing with a coin Hermione?" Harry asked, challenging her. "Or was I doing something more?"

Hermione frowned and then proceeded to watch Harry as he took the coin from the table and flipped it into the air. She watched as he moved his index finger, causing the coin to spin around while levitating it up and down. "Is that it? You were balancing a coin in the air? I can do that easily Harry."

"You try it then." Harry said, a smirk on his face.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry's childish attempt but took on the challenge anyway. She took her wand out and repeated the same actions as Harry, showing him how easy that was. "Didn't even break a sweat."

"Now do it without a wand."

Hermione froze for a second as she finally realized what Harry actually did with the Knut. "You... how... what..."

"So I finally found something that can even make the great Hermione Granger speechless."

"Don't be a prat Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. The gears were quickly turning in her head. It was such a simple thing that he did, levitating the coin that even a first year could have done it but it was how he did it that caught her by surprise. "Just how strong are you Harry?"

Harry laughed, "So I can do advance magic. It's not a big deal."

"Stop downplaying it Harry! It's a huge deal! To do what you just did... performing non-verbal wandless magic... I can't even begin to describe it. This is so fascinating!"

Harry shook his head. "Really? I don't really see it that way."

"Why not?" Hermione asked. "You're a powerful wizard Harry. Only a few people has gotten to where you are. You should be proud!"

"You're giving me too much credit." Harry replied. "I've just been pretty lucky..."

"What do you mean?"

Harry hesitated for a second before looking at Hermione. "Do you recall what happened with the Chamber of Secrets and the Triwizard Tournament?"

Hermione nodded her head. Even though she wasn't personally involved, she knew the rumors surround those two major events. It was so big that Dumbledore used everything that he had to keep the press from the school. They were like sharks that smelled blood in the water. Every morning there would be hundreds of owls circling the breakfast table with letters from reporters offering gold for their stories.

It started during her second year with the incident that involved Ginny. She went missing for a few days without warning. Ron actually lost his mind that week, searching high and low for his sister but couldn't find anything. It was only after she showed up in the infirmary did he realize what happen. Hermione didn't know the exact details but everyone in the school was swearing that Ron and Harry got into an actual shouting match with Ron actually throwing a hex at Harry. Even though Ginny was fine with some broken ribs and minor bruising, the story was already leaked.

As the years went by, more and more stories about Harry were leaked to the media but the biggest story happened during her fourth year with the Triwizard Tournament. Even though Harry wasn't nominated as a champion, he somehow appeared in the middle of the quidditch field with Cedric. Matters got even worse when Dumbledore confirmed everyone's fear. That Cedric was dead.

At one point, she could have sworn that even Madam Bones, the head of the DMLE, came down to the school to do an investigation but no official report was ever filed. It was that same year that the phrase 'Dark Lord Potter' was coined.

"It's okay Harry... I know what happened." Hermione answered.

"You only know what you read or heard Hermione but the truth is... Voldemort was being all those attacks."

Hermione's eyes widened. "How is that even possible? How did he get into the school?"

"Slow down Hermione." Harry replied, "I never said he was in this school. All these attacks were planned by Voldemort but was carried out by his followers. That's why I went into isolation. I didn't know who I could trust in this school. Being alone guarantee that no one else got hurt. Well except for Draco and certain people who couldn't take no for an answer."

"Unbelievable." Hermione said, clenching her hand into a fist. "And you didn't think to tell me about this sooner?"

Harry shrugged. "I didn't see the relevance Hermione and besides, it would have been super awkward to just randomly come up to you and just say, 'Hey Hermione, how are you? And oh by the way, I almost died a couple of times in the past few years.' That would have been so weird."

"You almost died?!" Hermione yelled, her eyes nearly bulging out of her head. "What is the matter with you Harry?!"

"Keep your voice down!" Harry quickly whispered. "As you can see, I didn't die okay?"

"It is not okay! It is far from being okay!"

As Harry tried to calm her down, he failed to notice that they weren't alone anymore. Apparently her outburst caught the attention of a few people that happened to be in the library that night.

"See! I told you there was a couple back here making out Ron!" Lavender exclaimed as she strolled forward while pulling on Ron's arm. When she realized who it is, the expression suddenly changed. "What the hell are you doing here Potter!"

"Hello to you too Lavender." Harry said, smiling. "And you as well Ron. Tell me, does the entire Weasley clan have the ability to turn their entire body into a tomato or is it just you?

Like clockwork, Ron's face turned beet red as he drew his wand and pointed it at Harry. "That is the absolutely last time that you're going to get away with insulting my family Potter!"

Harry chuckled and used his index finger to swat Ron's wand away. "It's not really an insult if it's true Ron."

Hermione giggled and when everyone turned their attention towards her, she quickly looked away, her cheeks heating up from embarrassment.

"Are you sure you want to keep your wand pointed at me?" Harry asked, the smile never leaving his face. "We both know that it's not going to end well for you."

"Even you aren't fast enough to draw your wand before I hex you to kingdom come."

"Try your luck then." Harry answered as his magic flared up. Both Hermione and Lavender noticed the magic flowing out of Harry but Ron continued to hold his ground, his eyes never leaving Harry.

"Come off it Ron. Potter's not worth your time. We have better things to do than to entertain these losers."

"Then run away." Hermione suddenly retorted. "That's what you guys do anyway right?"

Lavender scoffed in return. "Please bookworm. Don't tell me you're still upset over that little prank."

"Prank? How can you even call that a prank when I almost died in that forest! You guys left me out there to die!" Hermione all but shouted. "A prank is when you stole my books or hid my clothes. A joke is when you call me using that nickname but what you did back there was neither!"

"Get over yourself Granger. It was just a prank. There was nothing malicious behind that. Why do you have to make a big deal out of this? That was just something that us girls do all the time. You would have known if you chose to socialize with your own peers instead of spending all those years hiding away in the library."

"So it's my fault? That I chose to actively pursue my future rather than spend time with people that I have nothing in common with? Excuse me for choosing poorly and you don't get to talk to Harry like that. We may argue and we may laugh but we would never stab each other in the back."

Lavender gasped. "I never thought you would be so stupid to align yourself with him Granger. He's evil! He's the spawn of you know who! How can you even stand someone like him!"

"I'm standing right here you know..." Harry muttered. Both of the girls whipped their head and glared at Harry, momentarily forgetting about their argument. He mumbled out a quiet apology and looked away. He mentally swore to himself that he was never going to get between women again. Not even if his life depended on it.

"I considered you one of us Granger and this is the thanks that I get? I should have never taken you under my wing." Lavender said, shoving Hermione a little.

"I was never one of you." Hermione said. She stood her ground and stared straight at her roommate. "You never did anything for me Lavender. I don't know who you're trying to convince but it sure isn't me."

Harry watched on with interest as he remained silent. This is one fight that Hermione will need to win on her own. She needed to confront her past in order for her to grow as a person. If she intends to stand with him when he confronts Voldemort, there needs to be with absolute certainty that she can hold her own. If he was worrying about her instead of the battle, then he was as good as dead.

From the corner of his eyes, Harry saw that Ron still had his wand out but it wasn't focused on him anymore. It was focused on the two girls. Harry recognized the hand movements that Ron was already starting to do but before the redhead could even get off a single syllable, Harry waved his right hand and banished his former friend to the wall.

Lavender saw her boyfriend fly across the room and screamed as she ran to him. "Ron! Ron! Are you okay? Speak to me!" She held her unconscious boyfriend in her arms. "You're going to pay for this Potter. How dare you attack another student in Hogwarts. They were right about you. You've gone dark."

Before Harry could give a reply, Hermione walked past him and crouched in front of Lavender. "Take Ron and go."

Tears started spilling out from Lavender as she started crying. "It's because your shagging him aren't you. I knew you were a no good nothing wh-"

Not letting her finish that sentence, Hermione's fist quickly connected with Lavenders face, causing both girls to recoil back for different reasons.

Hermione fell backwards after the punch as she nursed her hand. She whimpered from the pain as Harry quickly went to her side.

"Are you okay Hermione?" Harry asked. He couldn't hid the proud smile on his face as he carefully examined her hand. "Damn... just promise never to sucker punch me like that."

As much as Hermione wanted to accept praise from Harry, her attention was more focused from the pain radiating from her hand. Her father often told stories of his schoolyard fights but he failed to mention just how much it hurt afterwards!

"I'm going to get the both of you expelled for this! I'm going to take this to Dumbledore!" Lavender cried out, nursing the right side of her cheek. "I'll see it that the ministry comes to snap both of your wands!"

"Go ahead. Tell them Lavender." Harry said. "Tell them what happens when you mess with Hermione." He gave her one last smile as he walked out of the library with Hermione in tow.

Once out of there, Hermione let out a small moan as she cradled her now swollen hand. "Remind me never to do that again Harry."

"I thought it was brilliant." Harry answered. "I think if word got out, people might start calling you right-hook McGee."

"Please don't." Hermione replied. "I don't need any more nicknames."

"It's way better than 'Boy who lived'."

The two continued their idle chatter but Hermione noticed that Harry was staring at her right hand. "I'm fine Harry." She expected him to drop it but instead, she watched as he gently picked up her hand and cradled it for a minute. "What are you doing Harry?" She whispered.

Harry didn't respond, choosing to close his eyes instead. Hermione felt a slight cold sensation emitting from Harry's hand and then the pain stopped. She looked up in shock. "How did you do that?" She asked.

"Magic."

* * *

I think that's enough growth for Hermione. Let's continue with the story.


	9. Plans

Hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Thanks for those who left reviews.

* * *

The next day, Hermione found herself squirming in her seat during breakfast. "Should we even be here Harry?" She whispered, looking over to her breakfast companion. "Maybe we should skip breakfast today. I hear its quite lovely outside."

"There's always time for breakfast." Harry replied, slowly eating his cereal. "It's the most important meal of the day."

Hermione rolled her eyes and despite her paranoia, she took a small bite from her fruit bowl. "Is this how you feel every day? Always looking over your shoulder? It's enough to drive a person mad!"

Harry laughed and shook his head. "You need to relax Hermione. Nothing is going to happen to you."

"How can you be so sure? What if Dumbledore is currently drafting up our expulsion notice? How can I even tell my parents that I got expelled for fighting?"

"If worse comes to worse, you can blame the entire thing on me." Harry answered, trying to reassure his friend.

"But -"

"No buts Hermione." Harry gave her a reassuring smile. "Last night was not your fault. We were minding our own business when they provoked us first. We were fully justified to defend ourselves. It just so happened that you decked Lavender while I tossed Ron into a wall."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh a little. "I guess so Harry. Maybe I was overthinking this a little."

Harry smirked. "A little?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and punched Harry lightly on the arm. "Oh stop it! Excuse me for worrying about our futures Harry!"

"Truthfully, you should stop worrying. It's going to turn your hair gray faster."

Hermione sighed and turned her attention back to her breakfast. She knew Harry was right. If something was going to happen, it would have happened already. It was just too bad that she didn't listen to his advice last night. She stayed up all night waiting for Professor McGonagall to walk through that door to tell her the bad news but it never came. In her head, she was thinking about the number of ways a student could be expelled and it was just nerve wrecking.

Hermione felt a gentle nudge on her arm and looked up to see Harry with a Pepperup Potion. She gave him a grateful smile and took it from him. "How did you know?"

"How can I not know?" Harry asked in return.

Hermione blushed and then looked away. She knew that he was just being considerate but it meant a lot to her. She knew that he wasn't big on feelings but whenever he did something like that, it just made her feel very special.

"Hm... now that's interesting."

"What's interesting?" Hermione asked but soon found her answer when an owl slowly flew into the Great Hall. It wasn't the most magnificent bird as it suddenly crashed into the Gryffindor table before stopping in front of Harry. She gasped when she recognized the letter that it was carrying.

"Harry... that's a howler..." She whispered.

The owl stood back up and walked over to Harry before dropping the howler on top of his cereal. It stood there patiently if it was waiting for some kind of payment.

"You expect me to give you some treat for that crap?" Harry asked, astonished at the audacity of this owl. "Who in the right mind would give you a treat when you're carrying something like that?"

The owl tilted his head and then nipped Harry hard on his finger, causing him to bleed. Feeling satisfied, the bird then flew away, leaving the way it came from.

With the howler at hand, Harry stared at it for a few seconds, wondering who in the world would send him one. He didn't have to wait long when he looked around and saw Ron giving him a smug look from the end of the table.

"You should open it Harry. The longer it takes the worse it'll be." Hermione said.

Harry stared at the howler for a few seconds before gripping it with both hands. His eyes flashed with magic as it slowly turned the color of the howler from red to blue.

Hermione, along with everyone else that was watching, was left speechless. "How did you do that Harry?"

"Magic." The both of them answered in unison. Harry rolled his eyes at her while she smiled in return.

"Mr. Potter!" A voice echoed through the Great Hall and Harry leaned forward to see that Professor Flitwick waving madly at him. "Can I see you for a moment please? Don't worry, you're not in trouble."

Hermione gave Harry a confused look, wondering what Professor Flitwock would want with him. She went back to her breakfast, full well knowing that Harry would tell her later on. After a few minutes, she saw that Harry was still standing there if he was waiting for something.

"Did you forget something Harry?" She asked.

Harry sighed and held out his hand. "Are you coming or not?"

Hermione slowly smiled and then nodded her head. As she walked to the front, there was that weird feeling again. First it was with the Pepperup Potion and now this.

As the two quickly walked up to the front, they could see their Charms Professor excitedly bouncing up from his seat.

"Well done Mr. Potter! You must tell me how you did that."

"It's magic." Hermione answered, beating Harry to the punch. She saw the look that Harry was giving her and she shrugged her shoulders. "What? You were going to say that anyway."

"No I wasn't..." Harry mumbled. He narrowed his eyes and held up the now tamed howler. "You're welcome to try and analyze what I did professor."

Professor Flitwick happily took the howler and started rotating it in circles, his eyes trying to understand what happened. "100 points to Gryffindor for demonstrating a creative use of magic."

"Are you freaking serious?" Ron shouted. "You're awarding him points for a mistake that he did? Come on professor. Everyone knows that when you get a howler, it means that you messed up bad! How can you justify rewarding Potter?"

"Mister Weasley, if you actually paid attention to your classes for once, you would know that howlers are not associated with Hogwarts so the reason why Mr. Potter received one in the first place is no concern of mine." Professor Flitwick answered.

Ron had his mouth slightly opened, unable to accept what the professor was telling him. Instead of using his rational reasoning like every other person in his age group, he resorted to saying the first thing that came to his mind.

"That's just like Potter to get a free pass again. Just because your short doesn't mean you need to kiss his arse professor! It's very unbecoming for someone like you."

Everyone's head suddenly turned towards Ron, eyes widened at what he just said. No one said anything for the next few seconds as all eyes were now on Professor Flitwick. For everyone who knew the professor, his doors were opened to all students if they choose to seek out his help but everyone quickly learns that underneath that nice exterior, there was a dueling monster waiting to be sprung.

"Mr. Weasley." Professor Flitwick's gentle voice echoed through the room. "Do you want to repeat that again?"

Ron gulped and rapidly shook his head. The moment those words left, he knew he was screwed. "I'm sorry." His words squeaked out.

"Come see me after your last class for some... extra lessons..."

Everyone looked away, already knowing that once you piss off Professor Flitwick, it's too late. Ron sat back down, looking crestfallen while Lavender tried to cheer her boyfriend up.

Professor Flitwick then cleared his voice and things went back to normal. He turned his attention back to Harry. "Would you like to come by later this afternoon Mr. Potter and demonstrate the spell that you used?"

Harry politely declined the invitation. "Sorry Professor but it's a trade secret."

"How about a wager than Harry? We can duel for that knowledge. If I can land one hit on you, then you'll give my class a demonstration but if I can't, I'll give you some more private dueling lessons."

Harry smiled and declined again. "I'm afraid I have to decline again Professor."

Professor Flitwick laughed but nevertheless, shook his head. "In some ways, you're just like your mother. Stubborn to a fault. I'm glad that you have her natural charm talents Harry. The offer will continue to stand if you choose to seek it out later on."

"Thank you professor." Harry gave him a slight bow before grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her along.

When they were far away enough, Hermione gently tugged on Harry's arm. "Why did you pass up his offer Harry? Professor Flitwick is one of the best duelers in all of Europe. I'm sure that you could have learned something from him."

"Dueling isn't the problem Hermione. It's surviving."

Hermione gave him a confused look. "What do you mean? Wouldn't you benefit from the extra training that Professor Flitwick would give you?"

Harry merely smiled in return. He wanted to tell her that in war, there is no such thing as having a formal duel. There was no such thing as common courtesy. There was only a winner and a loser. If he was going to survive in the next few months, he needed experience and instinct over everything else. Voldemort was not going to play fair so why should he?

He wanted to tell her all of that but he didn't. Whenever he looked at Hermione, there was an air of innocence to her that he didn't want to dirty. She was his light that no matter how dark everything looked, she was going to be there to guide him back.

Back to the present and onward to the future.

As the duo walked back to their table, they were soon greeted by their headmaster. "Hello Miss Granger, Mr. Potter. That was a very interesting piece of magic that you did there Harry."

"It was nothing that you couldn't have done either Dumbledore." Harry said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Harry!" Hermione scolded, looking embarrassed. "I apologize for his behavior headmaster."

Dumbledore chuckled. "That is quite alright Miss Granger. Harry and I go back a long time but I'm afraid that I need to borrow him for a while. Would you be okay if I steal him for a bit?"

"Of course headmaster." Hermione answered, slightly bowing her head. When she saw the headmaster standing by their table, her heart jumped a little due to her earlier paranoia. A small sight of relief escaped her lips as she watched them walk away.

* * *

"Hello Professor Snape." Harry greeted as they walked into Dumbledore's office. "I take it that Voldemort's on the move."

Snape grimly nodded his head. "I'm afraid so Potter. He knows what Dumbledore is doing and has taken measures against it."

Harry slammed his hand on the desk, causing Fawkes to stir from slumber. He let out a small cry before disappearing in a burst of fire. "How many are left?"

Dumbledore sighed and poured himself a drink. "We have the location of the final two and we will be moving out shortly."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Harry asked.

"I'm afraid not my boy. Until we go through with that ritual, we cannot risk you being out in the open. It's too great of a risk."

"I'm ready whenever you are." Harry firmly answered. "We can even do it this weekend. The faster it's done, the faster we can put this behind us."

"Don't be stupid Potter." Snape replied. "We can't rush the ritual. There's still too much that I don't understand. Have I taught you nothing over the years?"

"Time is something that we don't have!" Harry said, raising his voice. "I understand your concern Professor. I really do but the longer I wait, the stronger he's going to get."

Dumbledore downed his drink and closed his eyes. "Are you sure you're ready Harry? This will be one of the hardest thing that you'll do in your life. I can promise you that much."

"If I don't do this soon, I'm going to lose sight of the future." Harry said, determination written on his face.

Dumbledore stared at the young man before him for a few moments and he blinked twice. For a split second, he could have sworn that it was James standing in front of him instead of Harry. He rubbed his eyes and slightly coughed. "We'll do this after Christmas if that's alright with you Harry."

"Have you told her Potter?" Snape asked.

"Told who?" Harry returned his head, confused at the question.

"Miss Granger." Dumbledore answered with a small smile on his face.

"No... I don't want to worry her. As long as there's a future for her, she will move on." Harry said. "And before you two lecture me, I swore to myself that I was going to keep her safe. No matter what the cost. I will definitely defeat Voldemort and end this war. Once and for all."

Snape shook his head. "You're a buffoon Potter. Even I can see just how much this girl means to you. I will probably wash my mouth for saying this but with respect to this subject, I wish you were more like your father."

Harry shrugged his shoulders at the comment. "I don't see a point in you bringing that up Snape. I may be my father's son but I am nothing like him."

"As so you said over and over." Snape retorted. "We get it Potter. Spare us the sob story."

"Let us move on gentlemen." Dumbledore said, clearing his throat. "I just want to remind you Harry that while we are out hunting for the last two horcrux, you need to be extra vigilant. Voldemort will undoubtedly know that you'll be alone during that time and might choose to strike."

"I... have a solution to that." Harry replied. "I was invited to spend the holidays with Hermione and her family..."

"I think that's a wonderful idea." Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling in response. "I think this will work perfectly in our favor. Don't you think so Severus?"

Snape paused for a moment, pondering on the idea. If word got out that Potter was leaving for the holidays, Voldemort would stretch his forces thin looking for him which would make their task a lot easier. "It's not a bad idea Albus. He would never think to look for Harry with the muggles."

"And it will be a great experience for Harry as well. With everything that's going on, I daresay that he would benefit from a change in environment."

Harry snorted but kept quiet. "If you say so."

"Once we recover the items, we can fully concentrate on the ritual so you need to be prepared Harry. Enjoy this time that you'll be spending with Miss Granger."

"Is that all Dumbledore?" Harry asked, his body already walking to the door. "If there's nothing else, I'm going to take my leave."

"Be gone Potter. I'll come fetch you after the holidays." Snape replied, waving his hands in a dismissive manner.

Harry rolled his eyes but walked out the door anyway. He was surprised to see Hermione standing at the bottom of the stairs with a bright smile on her face. He quickly walked down and greeted her. "What's with the smile on your face?"

"I got a letter from my parents!" Hermione excitedly replied. "And they said they can't wait to meet you!"

The news completely caught Harry off guard. When he told Hermione that he would spend the holidays with them, he didn't think they would have approved. "Your parents are okay with you letting a random stranger whom you just met this year come stay with them over the holidays? Just like that? No other questions asked?"

Hermione nodded her head. "Yup and mum's already setting up the guest room."

"The guest room?"

"Yes. Oh you're going to love it Harry. It's not as big as my room but its decent size enough. It's painted in a neutral color so you won't feel that it's too feminine or too masculine and it's decorated nicely as well. I suppose if you don't like it, we can change it but that would be a shame because it has this warm feeling to it that I know you'll love."

Harry laughed and clapped his hands. "I am sure everything will be amazing Hermione. If your mother is anything like you at all, I know it'll be perfect."

"Thank you Harry..." Hermione muttered, a blush slowly creeping up on her cheeks. "Do you need to confirm with your relatives that you won't be coming home for the holidays?"

Harry shook his head in response. "They wouldn't care. It's one less mouth to feed if I don't go home anyway."

Hermione nodded and then dragged Harry along. "There's so much we can do while we're back home Harry. Have you traveled outside London before? Oh and my parents would want to spend some time with us, you know to catch up and stuff."

Harry found himself bemused with the thought. "I can't wait."

* * *

I am open to the names for Hermione's parents... Enlighten me readers.


	10. Holidays

Thank you for all those left me PMs/reviews about it. Didn't think I would turn it into an unofficial poll. Anyway. Enjoy.

* * *

As the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station, Harry stretched his arms and smiled as he gave Hermione a gentle nudge on the shoulder, letting her know that they've arrived. He didn't blame her for falling asleep. She spent the last few days studying in the library, saying that if she couldn't take these books home with her, then she was going to do her studying now instead of later.

"We're here Harry!" Hermione said, her eyes filled with excitement. She pushed herself up and stared out the window. She let out a small sigh of relief as she recognized the dark and gloomy skies of London. "I think I see my parents!"

Harry laughed. "I think you'll have a better view from outside the train." He lightly teased. "Or do you want to sleep a little bit longer? I don't mind either way."

"I can't believe you let me fall asleep Harry." Hermione asked, feeling her cheeks heat up. With the way that Harry was smiling at her, she just hoped that nothing too embarrassing happened.

"That's alright Hermione. A little sleep never harmed anyone and besides, you make this little noise when you sleep and it was cute."

"Ugh Harry!" Hermione replied, already aware that there was a blush on her face. She tore her eyes away from Harry and pretended to look at the door. She knew he was teasing her but there was no way that she can look at him right now... Not while she was feeling flustered.

"Are you ready to see your parents?" Harry softly asked. He stood up and started lifting the trunks off the top shelf with ease. As his fingers went over each handle, he silently charmed them to be weightless. No sense in having magic if you can't use it.

"Yeah... It's just not the same with letters." Hermione answered. "Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of writing letters but at the same time, I just hate waiting for a response. You would think that with magic, people would have found a better way of delivering mail."

"Speaking of mail... I still have those letters that you wrote to me that one summer..."

Hermione's eyes widened with surprise. "You do? That seems like ages ago when you used to have Hedwig deliver them to me. Where is she by the way?"

"With the Lupins." Harry answered as he opened the door and gestured for Hermione to walk ahead. "They can take better care of her than I can right now."

Hermione noticed the crestfallen look on Harry's face and looped her arm around his. "I'm sure she misses you as well Harry."

"Am I that obvious?" Harry asked, a little embarrassed that she caught on. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring down your mood Hermione."

"It's alright Harry..." Hermione whispered as she leaned closer to him. "Are you excited for a change in scenery?"

Harry only nodded his head in response. He was very aware that Hermione was holding onto him as they walked towards the exit to meet with her parents. The same parents that probably knew that he was the reason why their daughter was heartbroken all those years ago.

Suddenly he didn't feel so confident anymore.

"I see them Harry!" Hermione said as she pointed towards the couple that was standing by the exit. She gently let go of his arm and ran towards her parents, leaving Harry to slowly catch up. He watched as they pulled her into a hug and he averted his eyes. For some reason, he felt like he was intruding in their personal moment so he stopped, unsure of what to do next.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted, getting his attention.

Harry turned around and saw that she was waving at him. He took a deep breath and started walking but in his head, he was already starting to look for potential exits. He heard stories from Sirius and Remus about the horrors of meeting a girl's family for the first time. Mostly it was them exaggerating but it left an impression on them.

As he walked closer, the sounds of his heartbeat kept getting louder and louder.

"Come on slowpoke." Hermione said, running up to him and looping her arm around his once again. "My parents are anxious to meet you."

Harry noticed a small blush on her face this time around and the nervousness disappeared. "I'll try not to scare them off."

Hermione rolled her eyes, full well knowing that Harry would be on his best behavior. She pulled him along and stopped in front of her parents. "Mum... Dad... This is my best friend, Harry Potter." She said, smiling.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Granger." Harry politely said, bowing a little.

"None of that now Harry. You can call me Emma and this is my husband, Daniel." Emma answered, pulling Harry into a hug. She then looked at him and smiled. "We are so excited that you're spending the holidays with us. Hermione has told us a lot about you Harry."

Daniel nodded his head as well. "It's about time that I finally get to meet the famous Harry Potter that our daughter keeps writing about in her letters. Ever since we agreed, she's been writing nonstop about how great you are Harry. Let's hope you live up to her expectations."

"Daddy!" Hermione cried out, mortified at her parents for exposing her secrets like that. "He didn't need to know that!"

Harry laughed along with her parents, "I'm the lucky one here Mr. Granger. It's been a pleasure just knowing your daughter."

"We're lucky to have her as our daughter as well. She's our pride and joy."

Hermione groaned and without realizing it, buried her face into Harry's chest. "Let me know when they stop." She muttered, her hands gripping themselves on his jacket.

Trying to drown out her parent's laughter, she closed her eyes and inhaled the scent from Harry's shirt. It reminded her of the forest and then her eyes shot open. It was then that she became very aware of her surroundings.

"I don't think their ever going to stop now..." Harry softly said, his chest shaking from laughter.

Hermione looked up and saw Harry looking back at her, a big smile on his face. Her face instantly turned red and she started stuttering. Trying to get out an excuse.

"I don't think your father would allow you to sleep on Harry's chest later tonight sweetheart." Emma lightly teased.

"I second that." Daniel chimed in, his arms folded against his chest. He was struggling to hide the smile from his face.

"Before we go Harry, do you need to check in with your parents before we leave?" Emma asked. "I don't want them to worry."

"I'll... go tell them right now Mrs. Granger." Harry answered, as he started walking towards the middle of the train terminal.

Emma caught the concerned look on her daughter's face as Harry walked away. "Hermione... Is something wrong?"

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "I'm not exactly sure mum..."

Her parents stayed silent as they watched Harry approach an overweight man that had a rather nasty sneer on his face. Once Harry approached him, the man's face slowly turned red and even from this distance, they could hear some of the things he was saying.

"Is that man really Harry's father?" Emma asked, shocked from what she was hearing. "I don't mean to sound rude but his behavior is unacceptable."

"I think that's his uncle..." Hermione guessed. "His parents died when he was just a baby..."

The news caught her parents off-guard. Emma held her hands to her mouth to express her surprise. "That poor boy... And he's forced to live with people like that?"

"I think so..." Hermione sadly answered. "It feels like Harry is always carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and even when I offer to help, he keeps telling me that it's fine..."

"That does not look fine to me! Daniel, we need to do something."

"Why don't I take a walk over there? I think I should at least introduce myself to his relative to assure them that Harry is going to be in good hands."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Hermione asked, her hand already reaching for her wand holster. There was something about that man that made her protective of Harry for some reason.

Daniel quickly shook his head. "No just stay here. It won't take long and once I come back with Harry, we'll be on our way." Daniel answered, a small smile on his face. "Just keep your mother company for a few minutes."

As Daniel walked away, he was glad that he told his daughter to stay put. There was no way that he was going to subject her to that man. It pained him greatly that even in this day and age, there are monsters that disguise themselves as man.

"I refuse to let you spend the holidays with those freaks! Do you hear me? There is nothing good about those kind of people. You should be lucky that you're even going to that deranged school of yours. I don't even know why we took you in anyway. You're nothing but trouble boy."

"Why does that matter to you uncle? You should be happy that I'm not even coming home." Harry spat out. "Or are you upset that you're losing your free slave?"

"Are you talking back to me? Who do you think you are huh? I am the master of the house and you're just some brat that I took in. You should be thanking me for not letting you die boy."

Daniel saw Harry wince from the pain when his uncle grabbed him by the shoulders. He quickened his pace and walked up behind Harry, surprising them both. "Hello sir."

Vernon looked up and narrowed his eyes. "What do you want? This is a private conversation."

"I apologize the intrusion but my name is Daniel Granger. I believe your nephew might have mentioned about spending the holidays with us but I just want to make sure that it's still okay."

"Why would I even agree to something like that?" Vernon cautiously asked. "How do you even know the boy?"

"My daughter attends the same school as Harry."

"Your daughter is one of those freaks?" Vernon replied, shocked at the news. "But you're so... so... normal."

"I highly recommend that you watch your mouth. One of those 'freaks' as you put it is my daughter." Dan harshly answered. "Do you have no decency?"

Vernon snorted. "I am within my right to say whatever I want. Tell you what. You want the boy? You can have him."

Daniel's eye widened when Vernon shoved Harry to the ground. He quickly kneel next to Harry to see if he was alright. "What was that for you bastard! How can you treat your own nephew like that?"

"I don't consider filth family." Vernon replied, laughing as he walked away.

Daniel clenched his fist and was about to have some more words with the man when Harry grabbed onto his arm, pulling him back. "It's not worth it."

"Tell me that he was drunk Harry. Tell me that your uncle was drunk and that's not how he normally behaves."

Shaking his head, Harry helped himself up. "It doesn't matter Mr. Granger. I appreciate you coming over but everything is fine. I'll handle it later."

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked.

Harry dusted himself off and smiled. "It means that you shouldn't let one man ruin your holidays."

Daniel stared at Harry with a new found respect. Anyone else, including him, would have ran after that man and started a fight but Harry here talked him out of it. Maybe his daughter was right. Maybe there is something special about Harry Potter after all.

* * *

During the car ride out of London, Hermione insisted on making sure that Harry was alright. As soon as they were in the car, she cast a detection spell to confirm that he didn't have any broken bones or bruising which Harry scoffed at, claiming that it would take more than that to hurt him. She let out a sigh of relief when the spell came back as negative but she continued to stay close to Harry.

As they were driving, Daniel retold the story of what happened earlier with Harry's uncle in minus some of the parts that Harry asked him to leave out. Harry explained that he would tell them when he's ready and Daniel respected that.

There was something about Harry that made him think twice about him. At first, he had to wonder if Harry was really eighteen because from the way that he carried himself, it seemed like he was much older. If he met the lad outside London, he would have assumed he was at least in his mid-twenties. There was just something different about Harry that set him apart from everyone else. Daniel couldn't put his finger on it which worried him a little.

Daniel kept this to himself for now. He'll have a talk with the young man when they get home. It was an unspoken law among all fathers that they are allowed to question any males that their daughters bring home. In fact, that's the reason why he spent last night cleaning his firearm.

A little scare tactic never hurt anyone.

Harry spent most of the car ride looking out the window, fascinated with the scenery. Whenever he traveled with the Dursleys, he was always in the backseat, surrounded between shopping bags and boxes.

When the car finally pulled into a two story house, Hermione reached for Harry's hand and led him out of the car. "Welcome to my home Harry. It's not much but this is home sweet home."

Harry smiled as he looked around. "I wouldn't say that Hermione. This is a very lovely home."

Daniel stretched as he got out of the car. "So how much stuff did you bring home this time sweetheart? Do I need to make an appointment with my chiropractor tomorrow?"

"Stop teasing your daughter Daniel." Emma lightly replied. "You can cancel that call because Harry already took the trunks out."

"Really? By himself? Maybe the boy's stronger than he looks."

Emma rolled her eyes but pulled him aside as Hermione took Harry inside for a tour of their house. "What are you not telling me Daniel?"

"So what do you think about Harry?" Daniel first asked.

"I think he's a lovely boy. A little bit shy but there's nothing wrong with that. He was probably nervous."

Daniel shook his head, "There's something about Harry that he's hiding... You should have seen him when his uncle grabbed him earlier. It was almost like he expected something like that to happen..."

"Do you think he was ..." Emma whispered. "That poor boy..."

"Let's not jump into conclusions Emma. There's a young man in our care that might be in trouble."

"I'll have a talk with Hermione later about this." Emma said. "I also have a sneaky suspicion that our daughter is quite smitten with him."

"What!?" Daniel yelled. "Over my dead body!"

"Oh stop it. You knew it was going to happen eventually. Our little girl is growing up right before our eyes." Emma replied, wiping a stray tear from her eye. "Now let's go inside before our daughter gets worried."

Emma grabbed her husband's hand and pulled him into the house. She thought it was sweet that her daughter has finally found someone that accepted her for who she is. The only problem was getting Daniel on board.

"Mum, is everything alright? I heard someone shouting earlier." Hermione asked as she led harry back down the stairs.

Daniel let out a small cough as his wife elbowed him in the ribs. "I dropped my toolbox earlier sweetheart. Nothing to worry about."

"So Harry, as our guest, do you have any preference for dinner? I can quickly whip something up or we can order take away."

"I'm fine with anything to be honest." Harry answered and then turned to Hermione. "Why don't you choose?"

Hermione pondered and then nodded her head. "Let's do Chinese! Have you had Chinese before Harry?"

"No, not really but I'm open to trying it."

"Sounds good to me." Daniel said, picking up the phone to place the order. "I'll just order our usual plus some extras."

While her husband was doing that, Emma saw the opportunity to pull both Harry and Hermione into the living room. "So now that we have a moment to relax, why don't chat for a bit."

"Mummm..." Hermione groaned. She sat down at the end of the couch next to Harry. "Do we need to do this now?"

"That's fine dear. You don't have to stay but I'm sure Harry wouldn't mind looking through some picture albums of when you were younger..." Emma answered, letting that thought linger out there.

"Harry and I would love to sit and chat with you mum." Hermione quickly answered. "Absolutely love to."

Emma chuckled, shaking her head. The trick never gets old. It was the same one that her mother pulled on her when she first brought Daniel home.

"So I'm curious. Are you the same Harry Potter that we met all those years ago?" Emma asked, leaning forward slightly. "I recall my daughter writing about him during her first year and then she just stopped... It makes me wonder if you're that same boy..."

"Yes... Yes I am Mrs. Granger." Harry answered. "We grew apart due to some unfortunate circumstances."

"If you don't mind me asking, what kind?"

"How much do you know about Voldemort?" Harry asked in return.

Emma looked over to Hermione who only nodded her head. "We know he's a fanatic that believes in blood supremacy. Outside that, Hermione hasn't told us much except that he's a dangerous man. A little bit crazy if you ask me."

"Yes, he's all of that and much more." Harry answered. He then went into telling the Grangers about some of the things that Voldemort has done, causing chaos and destruction with the help of his followers. At some point during his story, Daniel came over and sat next to his wife. Just hearing Harry talk about the things that this maniac has done made him want to run the other way.

"You never told me that Hermione!" Emma said, astonished at the amount of things that her daughter was withholding from them. "Why isn't the government doing anything to stop him? With all that magic and stuff, you would think it would be easy to control acts of terrorism!"

"You can't fight magic with magic that easily Mrs. Granger. Think of magic like water. If we were throwing water around at each other, both sides would be standing there for the next hundred years because we're just splashing each other but what if one day, the other side comes at you with an entire reservoir of water? The simple answer is that you're going to drown. That's the exact same thing here. Voldemort has access to more magic, more dangerous ones than anyone in the government."

The feeling of dread washed over everyone as Harry explained the situation. Even for Hermione who knew a little bit more about the war found this to be new. She looked at Harry who had a solemn look on his face.

"What's going to happen next...?" Daniel asked, a little afraid of the answer. He held his wife in his arm as his eyes landed on his daughter. "Is the future of the magical community in danger?"

"People are going to fight... and they're going to win..." Harry firmly answered. "We haven't begun to surrender just yet."

"How can you be so sure about this Harry? What kind of future do you even see for yourself?"

"I don't know about my own future Mr. Granger but what I can guarantee is that Hermione will have a great future ahead of her."

Daniel and Emma both let out a small sigh of relief, thanking Harry for explaining the situation to them but there was still a lot to take in. "This gives us something to think about."

Hermione just stared at Harry, frowning at the implication of his words. She saw the smile that he gave her parents but it wasn't his usual carefree smile. This one looked rather forced.

"Do you mind if I take a walk around the neighborhood to clear my head? I'll be back in time for supper." Harry suddenly asked. "I won't go far, I just want to see what's out there..."

"Of course you can Harry." Hermione answered. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Harry declined her offer, "No that's okay Hermione. I'm just going to take a little walk. I promise I won't be long."

"Alright... but I'm going to come get you when dinner is ready." Hermione said, her tone promising that there was no compromise on her request.

As soon as Harry left, Hermione found surrounded by her parents who each had a worried expression on their faces. She let out a small sigh and gestured to her parents to go ahead with the questioning.

"Ask away."

* * *

Hope this chapter was enjoyable.


	11. Revelations

Thanks for keeping up with the story so far. Hope it's enjoyable.

* * *

The pounding in his head continued to pulsate as Harry slowly staggered to a nearby park. He clutched the side of his head as the pain gradual increased. "Something must have happened." Harry muttered. "What the hell did those two even do?"

He quickly looked around to see if anyone was nearby and when he didn't see anyone, Harry slammed his head against a nearby tree. It was hard enough that blood started to drip down from the fresh wound on his forehead. He gasped for air as the pain slowly began to recede.

"God damn headaches." Harry growled. "Why does it always have to be headaches? Why can't he just send in something less painful like death eaters?"

He moved his hand to the center of his forehead and felt the familiar sensation of his magic healing the wound. He frowned as he stared at the tree. This was the first time he ever felt pain like that, even through his Occlumency shields. Something must have seriously pissed off Voldemort if he was sending this much pain through their shared connection.

"Is this what the next few months will be like...?" Harry whispered, looking up at the afternoon sky. "Will I be strong enough by then...?"

That was his biggest worry... that he was going to let everyone down. All the sacrifices that has been made to get them here would have been in vain... all those lives lost...

Sirius... Cedric... Bill... and countless others...

Even if he manages to defeat Voldemort... what are the chances that he's going to make it out alive? He was just barely twenty and the damn bastard has over 20 years of experience on him. The odds are so stacked against him.

Harry cursed under his breath and then remembered why he was here. He remember the looks that Hermione's parents had and he felt like an idiot. He was second guessing himself when there were people depending on him. People who believed in him that they were willing to throw down their lives to give him a fighting chance.

"Is this what it means to be a hero...?" Harry asked to no one in particular. "To shoulder the weight of everyone?"

His hands gripped the wood on the bench with such pressure that it started to creak. The more that he thought about it, the more he felt his control over his magic slipping from him.

He fought against it for a moment before his vision turned white. The last thing he heard before slipping into unconsciousness was someone yelling his name.

"Harry?" A voice called out. "HARRY!"

At this point, Harry was so lost in his own magic that everything outside his mind was nonexistent. He didn't know where or what was going on but all that he cared about was just telling go of his limits. Just letting go of all the expectations that people have of him. To let go and just be Harry Potter...

Was it just too much for people to just understand that?

Inside here, it was warm and comforting... the total opposite of his current reality.

He wanted to stay here, where he was bothered by no one. He could look for miles and miles and there wouldn't be a single soul in sight. Except for that red beam.

His eyes blinked twice and then the beam hit him squared in the face.

"What the hell..." Harry said, groaning from the pain. He tried to get up but his body kept screaming at him to stop moving. His senses shifted into full alert when he heard footsteps rapidly coming his way.

"Not... dying like this..." Harry muttered as he took a deep breath and rolled around. His arm shot out mid-spin and his mind instinctively went to his favorite spell. "Reducto!"

A loud feminine scream came back and a sudden feeling of dread washed over his body. Going against everything that his body was telling him not to do, Harry pushed himself forward and saw Hermione lying on the ground, a furious expression on her face.

"What the hell was that Harry!?" Hermione yelled. "You could have killed me with that spell!"

Harry watched as Hermione continued to yell at him but he didn't care. Nothing else mattered as long as she was still alive. He let out a loud laughter which caught Hermione by surprise and then threw his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "You're okay." He whispered. "You're not dead!"

Hermione stared at him with widened eyes. "What happened back there Harry? How can you just levitate yourself like that in public? What if someone had saw you?"

"To be honest, I don't know." Harry said as he pulled himself away from the hug. "One minute I was feeling like I was being suffocated by everything and then the next, I just... let go."

"Let go?" Hermione asked with a confused look. "Do you mean that you lost control of your magic?"

Harry shook his head. "This felt different. It was almost like it was begging me to be released... so I did."

"Well you gave me quite a fright Harry Potter." Hermione suddenly remembering why she was angry in the first place. "Do you have any idea what could have happened if someone else found you floating up there? They would have thrown you in a crazy hospital!"

"So you stunned me instead?" Harry asked. "Couldn't you have done it with a much gentler method?"

Hermione blushed and started stuttering. "I did try! I went with some easy spells that wouldn't do any damage but they just bounced off you like paper airplanes... so I went with the first heavy hitter spell that I could think of."

"And that was with a Stupefy?" Harry asked again, an incredulous look on his face. "I could have died..."

"I was very confident that you would have lived Mr. Potter unlike that Reducto that you threw at me."

"Yeah sorry about that. Instincts and all."

Hermione just watched Harry who had a defeated look on his face. "You're not okay..." She pointed out.

Harry chuckled and sat down on the ground, leaning his back against the tree. "What gave it away? Was it when I floating in midair or when I almost killed you?

"Neither actually." Hermione answered. "It was that lie that you told my parents and I'm not angry Harry. I somewhat understand why you think you needed to do it but Harry, I can protect myself. Whatever dangers that may come my way, I want to believe that I can handle them. We're not first years anymore and I can handle any kind of troll that wants to kidnap me."

"I didn't lie Hermione. I only told them my definition of the truth. My vision of the future."

"That's false hope Harry." Hermione quietly responded. "In times like this, I think it would be better to know the truth than the lies..."

"No..." Harry said, clenching his fists. "Voldemort will not win. I can promise you that. By this time next year... It's going to be a beautiful Christmas. No death eaters, no more dark lords... it'll be wonderful..."

"Harry..." Hermione whispered. She noticed the distant look in his eyes and wondered if he even believes the words that he's saying. It broke her heart that for someone as young as Harry... this is the path that he's destined to take.

But this path is something that he doesn't have to take alone! Hermione gently smiled and reached for Harry's hand, gently cooing him to unclench. She laced his hand between hers and just noticed that his hands weren't that much bigger than hers.

She noticed the questioning look from him but only smiled in return. "I'm going to hold you to that promise Mr. Potter. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays and it wouldn't be Christmas if you weren't here physically spending it with me. It doesn't matter if I have to walk into that battlefield screaming at you to get up because no matter what, you're going to be here next year."

"Yeah..." Harry replied. "Yeah. I'm going to be here next year."

"That's the spirit. Now I think it's time we go back. The food should almost be here by now and I don't my dad to come looking for us."

Harry nodded his head, ignoring the grumbling from his stomach. "I guess I lost track of time here."

"Men. You're all the same, thinking with your stomach instead of your brain." Hermione said, giggling. She pulled Harry up and noticed that he didn't let go of her hand.

"Do you mind if we..." Harry shyly asked. "I'm not getting fresh or anything... I just like the feeling..."

If Hermione's smile could get any bigger, it would. "Of course you can Harry."

* * *

After dinner, Emma shooed the men into the living room while dragging Hermione into the kitchen. Daniel rolled his eyes and noticed that Harry was slightly fidgeting in his seat. A predatory grin appeared on his face when he realized that his wife has given him, although not knowingly, a golden opportunity here.

"Say Harry, do you have a few moments?" Daniel asked. "I want to show you something."

Harry shrugged his shoulders but nodded anyway. "Sure."

"Great!" Daniel answered very cheerfully. "It's in my study."

Daniel led Harry downstairs into the basement, allowing him to go down first. When he noticed that the young man was more than half way down the stairs, he locked the door with a subtle click. In his mind, he knew that Harry would break out of his if he wanted to but he wasn't going to let that deter him.

Harry looked around and noticed a very impressive display of books. "I can see where Hermione gets her love of books from."

Daniel nodded, walking around to the table and gestured for Harry to take a seat. "Yeah. My Hermione has a curiosity that would kill that damn cat several thousand times over. It's a good thing that you watch over her Harry. Am I right?"

Harry nodded his head. "I do my best sir."

"None of that sir stuff Harry. Hermione trusts you enough to bring you into our home so I'm not going to betray her trust by letting you call me sir." Daniel said. "Or should I have a reason not to trust you?"

"Excuse me?" Harry asked. "I'm not really understanding the question..."

"Harry my boy. It's very simple. Can I trust you?"

"You can trust me." Harry quickly answered. "Have I done something wrong?"

"You tell me Harry." Daniel said, his hands clasped together on the desk. "I just want to know if you're going to be a danger to my daughter. That's all."

Harry sighed. "Mr. Granger. I'm not going to lie to you. I figured that your daughter would have filled you in but if you're asking me, then I guess she hasn't so I will ask you. How much do you know about me?"

"Enough to make me wonder what kind of person you are Harry."

"I'm the person that will ensure that Voldemort doesn't step foot into the muggle world." Harry firmly replied, his eyes planted firmly on Daniel. "I'm the best chance that you have to make sure that your daughter remains safe."

Daniel stayed silent, staring at Harry with a neutral expression. "What makes you think you can even do something like that? Why would they send you, a child, over a seasoned solder?"

"Because I'm the only one who can." Harry quietly said. "I'm the only one who stopped him before. In the end, only one of us will walk away."

"Can you imagine how I'm feeling Harry? That the only person who can defeat that lunatic is a young man whose not even old enough to drink liquor." Daniel said, bitterly laughing. "You wizards sure screwed up big time."

"You'll find no disagreement from me but may I ask what brought this on?"

"It was numerous things Harry but what stood out was the way your eyes look. They don't have that curiosity that my daughter has or the wild sense of adventure that any young teenage boy should have. No Harry, you have the eyes of someone whose been through many battles. With this war that is looming around the corner, you can see why I'm very cautious for Hermione. As brilliant as she is, I just worry about the choices that she'll have to make.

"You do not need to worry about Hermione." Harry answered. "I will make sure that no harm shall come to your daughter. I've protected her throughout most of her Hogwarts years and I don't plan on stopping now."

"Is that why you left her all alone all those years Harry?" Daniel asked, "To protect her?"

Harry nodded his head. "I was a prime target for Voldemort and his followers. If they found out that she was someone important to me, they would have gone after her in a second."

Daniel pondered against Harry's answers for a few seconds, letting it sink in. In his eyes, these were just kids... They should be worried about who their dating or what to do during summer vacation! Not worrying about some madman whose looking to take over the world.

"What if I told you that you're never to see my daughter again Harry? Would you respect my wishes?"

Harry frowned. "I would not Mr. Granger."

"Why not?" Daniel asked, trying to conceal his surprise.

"Because it would break your daughters heart and I will not do it again. Not for you. Not for Voldemort. Not even for the devil himself."

Daniel was taken back by Harry's response. "Are you not intimidated by me?"

"Do you want me to be?" Harry asked, leaning forward. A smirk on his face. "I've faced trolls, dragons, and many other creatures that wouldn't hesitate to end my life Mr. Granger. I have a lunatic that's been after my life since I was born. I've lost more in the past 6 years than most people will have lost in their entire lifetime so if you ask if I'm intimidated by you... my answer would be no."

For the first time in his life, Daniel was speechless. He wasn't even speechless when he met Emma's father the first time but somehow, this young man, made him speechless. He didn't know what to say so instead, he opened the cabinet doors behind him and poured himself a glass of Whiskey. He breathed in the scent of his liquor and sighed.

"After everything that I just learned, this reality that we... Emma and I... live in... seems fictional... This doesn't even seem normal compared to the lives that you and Hermione will have."

"I'm pretty sure Hermione is more than willing to share it with you guys... just once the danger has passed." Harry replied.

"And what about your plans then? What do you plan on doing once this is all over?"

"I don't know." Harry quietly answered. "I haven't really thought much of anything except for the final battle."

"Maybe you should." Daniel replied. "All I know is that if you don't come back, there won't be any place in heaven or hell that would stop my daughter from killing you again."

* * *

Enjoy the chapter. Next one will be up in 3 weeks.


	12. Emotions

Enjoy the chapter. Thanks again for the new follows/favorites/reviews.

* * *

After his conversation with Harry, Daniel found himself tossing and turning in his bed. Even though he tried to get some sleep, his mind wouldn't allow it. Not with his daughter's life on the line. Even though Harry reassured him multiple times that Hermione would be perfectly safe, his fatherly instincts screamed for him to ignore Harry. He tried unsuccessfully to push those thoughts out of his mind but it continued to linger.

"Either stop moving or get out." Emma quietly whispered.

"Sorry." Daniel muttered. "I just couldn't sleep."

"Is this about your little secret conversation with Harry?"

Daniel winced at getting caught but nodded his head. "It's just not fair you know. We're supposed to be her parents, her protectors. We're the ones that she's supposed to come running to when she has a problem. Not to some young punk that thinks he's god almighty."

He could feel his wife shifting her body to face him, even in the dark. "I just feel so helpless to do anything..."

"It just means that our baby is growing up Daniel." Emma said, pulling herself closer to her husband. "You've done your job as her protector for the first half of her life. Hermione has found someone that she truly trust to take care of her for the second half. That doesn't mean that she's going to forget about you. You're her father. She's always going to come to you regardless if there's a problem or not."

"I know that but..."

"No buts Daniel. It's all part of being a parent. Do you remember what you told me when Hermione was first born?"

Daniel chuckled. How can he not remember that moment? It was one of his favorite memories. "Yeah... I remember telling you that as much as I loved you, if there was ever a time when we were under attack, I would use you as a human shield to protect her."

"Lovely as ever." Emma replied dryly. "My point is that you're an amazing father, even if you have to kill me to prove that point. Now stop worrying and get some sleep."

Daniel let out a small yawn and gently kissed his wife. "You know that still hasn't changed right? I still love you."

"I know, I still love you too you big oaf. Now go to sleep."

Daniel closed his eyes and pulled his wife closer, holding her in his arms. "I'll still throw you in front of our daughter..."

Emma's only response was a quick punch to his stomach which Daniel smiled in return. It was definitely worth it to get in one last joke before he fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione walked up to Harry with a confident expression on her face. She spent a few moments this morning and decided that she was going to have a duel with Harry, just to see where she stands. In her mind, she knows that he's stronger than her but it was that unknown variable that made her very curious.

"Let's have a duel Harry."

Harry looked up, surprised at the request. "Huh? Why?"

"Because if I'm going to be standing next to you, I need to learn about dueling Harry. I want to know just how far the gap between us is."

"Pass." Harry answered, smiling. "You're a strong witch Hermione. Smart as well but I don't think you're suited for the battlefield."

"And why is that Mister Potter." Hermione said, putting her hands on her hips. "Is it because you think women are inferior to men? That you don't think we can handle the situation? Well I'll tell you one thing Harry, I will not be treated as a second class citizen!"

"Whoa Whoa! Hold on!" Harry interrupted, holding his hands up in the air. "What I mean is that with the amount of knowledge that you accumulated over the years, you should be the one in charge of research. There's a big chance that when I'm fighting as Voldemort, you might find a spell or a way to end it quicker than what I have planned."

"Oh." Hermione replied, feeling a little silly now. "Sorry about earlier... it just makes me mad about the wizarding's backwards method and I thought you had the same mentality as them."

"Never."

Hermione smiled and then grabbed Harry's hands. "So duel?"

Harry laughed, "Fine we'll duel but I have to warn you, I'm not going to go easy."

The two went into Hermione's backyard and Harry looked around. "Are you sure we should do it here? What if your neighbors come out from the noise?"

"It won't be an issue. The Hassett family is on vacation right now so we'll have the place to ourselves." Hermione said. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at Harry. "Don't run away now."

Harry resisted the urge to just roll his eyes but he pulled out his wand as well. "I never run."

Hermione frowned as she took up a dueling stance. She knew that Harry can cast magic without the use of his wand so it was strange to see it out. "I thought you said you weren't going to go easy on me."

"Oh this?" Harry said, holding up his wand. "I have an itch on my back and was going to scratch it with it. Don't you hate it when that happens?"

"Let's just start." Hermione growled, her eyes focused on wiping that smirk off Harry's face.

"Go." Harry shouted and that was all Hermione needed before she sent three spells towards Harry. She watched as Harry stood there and then suddenly side stepped the spells with ease. She slowly circled him and sent out a binding hex to see what Harry would do but instead of dodging it, he merely crouched under the spell.

"Are you going to avoid everything? I thought this was a duel." Hermione yelled.

"Well since you asked nicely..." Harry answered as he started running towards her.

Hermione's eyes widened at the pace that Harry was running at her at and she quickly sent out two stunners. Harry dodged them with ease and within seconds, he closed the distance between them. As quickly as she could cast again, she felt Harry rip her wand out of her hand and grabbed her in a bear hug.

"Do you yield?" Harry whispered into her ear.

If Hermione wasn't in a state of shock, she would have blushed in this situation. She struggled for a few seconds before nodding her head. "I yield."

Harry released her and smiled. "You did pretty well. Those were some powerful spells that you sent my way."

"But none of them hit you." Hermione sadly replied. "I was sure I would at least get one hit off you."

"Let's go again." Harry suddenly announced. "This time, I'm going to cast a protego and you try to break it. Show me how you would break my shield. It doesn't matter if you're going to brute force it or with rapid succession. The goal is for you to just break it."

After several continuous tries, Hermione dropped to her knees gasping for air. She looked up after taking several breaths to find Harry standing there without any kind of sweat. She plopped down to the ground and just growled at him. "Are you even human?"

Harry laughed and dropped down next to Hermione. "I'm as human as you are Hermione. I just had help to get me to where I am today..."

"It's not fair." Hermione muttered. "Why does it have to be you...?"

"I know." Harry whispered. He lied down on his back to stare into the clear blue sky. "It has to be me Hermione. There's no one else that can defeat him..."

"But why you? Who ultimately decided that you were to face the darkest villain?"

Harry sighed and sat up. He knew this day would come but he didn't think it was now. With a heavy heart, he looked at Hermione and shook his head. "There was a prophecy Hermione... one that was told before I was born. It predicted that the savior would be someone that was born in July..."

"Well that can be anyone. There are over a million people that are born in July alone." Hermione scoffed, interrupting Harry.

"Yes a million people worldwide but there were only two that was born in London that are wizards... Neville and myself. Voldemort went after me first and that was the first time that I've defied him. He marked me as an equal then by this scar on my forehead that night..."

Hermione found herself speechless, her brain trying to wrap her head around the information. "Is that all of the prophecy Harry?" She quietly asked.

"That's all." Harry responded, his eyes shifted from looking at Hermione back to the sky. "It's the holiday's Hermione. You shouldn't be bothered with thoughts like that. You're supposed to have happy thoughts. Like what kind of presents you would be getting and just spending time with people you care about. You just leave Voldemort to me."

"No!" Hermione shouted, jumping on top of Harry. She didn't care anymore. Her heart started beating faster and faster, her deepest fear coming true. "You promised me Harry. You promised me a wonderful Christmas next year."

"That I did..."

"You're going to defeat Voldemort and you're going to come back to me."

"That I am..." Harry whispered, pulling Hermione into a tight hug. He could hear the quiet sniffling coming from her and Harry knew it was because of him. He wanted to tell her the rest of the prophecy, to tell her that he was beyond scared that one of them has to die in the end... but he didn't.

He knew how she would react and he couldn't put her through it. It wasn't fair to her. It took him years to prepare for this. Years to numb himself so that he would be ready...

He told himself it was for the best... to only focus on the present because his future wasn't set in stone. Being told that your life was a fifty fifty shot like a coin toss did wonders for a teenage mind.

"You're going to be spending every Christmas with me." Hermione continued.

"That I will..."

Unknown to Hermione and Harry, Emma stood by the window with a small smile on her face. She didn't intend to eavesdrop on their conversation but when she walked into the kitchen for lunch, she found her daughter lying next to Harry. As a mother, she initially found herself smiling for the happiness that her daughter gained but after hearing what Harry said, everything clicked into place.

"Oh Hermione..." Emma whispered. Her heart wept for her daughter, knowing what it feels like to know that the person you love might not make it back from the war. She wanted nothing more than to steal those two away to an isolated location where they can just be normal. To experience and enjoy the idea of being in love.

Tears started swelling in her eyes as she listened to her daughter making Harry promise after promise and it broke her heart. She slowly walked away from the window and went upstairs, forgetting about lunch.

* * *

"I told you this was a dumb idea Albus!" Snape yelled. "Why are you so stubborn?"

"Now now Severus. We both expected this from him. We walked in full well knowing that there were possible traps." Albus replied. "It was a calculated risk that I decided to take. You have a much bigger role to play in this war than I old friend. I'm just an old man who's living beyond his time."

Snape snorted but held back his tongue. After knowing Albus for years, he knew first hand just how stubborn he was. "And what about Potter? Are you just going to hide it from him? He deserves to know the truth."

"And he shall... when the time is right, I will tell him myself. Until then, he doesn't need to know this to hinder his training."

"I don't see how any time could be the right time when you're delivering bad news."

Albus smiled and held up his left hand. "That's because you still have a lot to learn my friend. There is just one final piece left and we can finally end this war."

"We don't need your optimism right now Albus. What we need to do is to explore our options in case Potter fails." Snape replied. He pulled out some wraps that were soaked in a magical concoction that would slow down the curse on Albus's left hand. "This is all I can do right now. I hope this serves as a reminder for just how foolish you were Albus."

"Foolish perhaps but we archived our goals Severus. We took down the remaining two horcrux and we paved the way for Harry. Everything that we accomplished so far was done in the name of the greater good. You know as well as I do that war cannot be won without sacrifices."

Snape sighed. "I don't agree with your methods but I cannot disagree with the results. We will do it your way for now but mark my words Albus. You can't keep this up forever."

With that, Snape turned around and left the room, leaving Dumbledore to his own thoughts. The old headmaster stared at his left hand, wondering just where everything went wrong. It looked innocent enough at first, walking into an abandon shack with Severus. He detected no threats and traps but he missed one. One that ended up endangering his own life.

The ring itself was cursed.

He should have seen it. He should have known but his ambition blinded him.

"I hope your greed for immortality was worth it Tom..." Albus muttered as he nursed his hand. "He's coming for you and there's nothing you can do..."

* * *

A little bit shorter than usual.


	13. Feelings

Thanks for sticking with me so far. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

"Wake up Harry!" Hermione yelled as she ran into his room. "It's here!"

Harry quickly sat up, his body jumping into alert mode. He blinked his eyes a couple of times when he saw that Hermione was sitting on top of him with a big smile. "I take it that we're not under attack if you're sitting there smiling at me..." He slowly muttered while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Hermione slowly nodded her head. "You can safely assume that Harry..."

"Then... why are you smiling so early?"

"Because it's Christmas!" Hermione answered, laughing. "We have to presents to open."

Harry blinked a couple more times. "Christmas?" He slowly asked. "But it's only seven in the morning."

"It's practically tradition in this house Harry." Hermione pointed out. She reached for his hand and tried to pull him out of bed but to no avail. "Be downstairs in five minutes or I'm going to be very cross with you."

He stared at the door when Hermione skipped out of the room and then he continued to stare at it for a few more minutes. During this entire time, his brain was still trying to process why it's a tradition to get up early to celebrate Christmas. He debated about going back to sleep until he saw Hermione's parents walk pass his room a few minutes later. He noticed that her mother had the same look on her face that Hermione did when she left his room. Her father on the other hand looks like he was ready to go back to bed.

"Up and at them Harry." Daniel said, the sleep still present in his voice. "The princess has spoken."

Emma slapped her husband's arm lightly. "Hush Daniel. You know you love your daughter." She then turned to Harry and gave him a sympathy smile. "Late night Harry?"

"You can say that."

"We'll see you downstairs." Daniel said, pulling his wife along.

Harry knew when a battle was lost and this battle was lost. Any hopes of catching a few more minutes of sleep was no longer an option. He pulled a sweatshirt over his head and made his way downstairs as well.

"Welcome Harry!" Hermione said, greeting her best friend. "Welcome to the Granger Christmas Family Tradition. We're going to start with presents and then breakfast and then we're going to watch some Christmas movies."

"Well let me be the first to say that we are so happy that you could join us for the holidays Harry." Emma said, pulling him into a hug. "And a very big thank you for bringing our little girl back to us." She whispered into Harry's ear.

"No thanks needed Mrs. Granger. I missed my best friend as well."

"Enough chitchat. Presents!" Hermione said, starting to hand out the wrapped gifts under their tree. She handed a few gifts to her parents and then handed a small gift to Harry. "I hope you like it Harry."

Harry held the small gift in his hand but before he opened it, he turned around and saw the excitement on everyone's faces. They stopped opening their gifts to watch him open his. He slowly unwrapped the gift, with as much as delicacy as possible. When he got through the wrapping, he opened the small box and found a small metallic Knut in there.

"It's has multi-layer charm on it Harry. The Knut is charmed to have the ability to change its mass and you can tell by how heavy it is by the colors. Silver for the lightest which is the normal weight for a Knut and red for the heaviest. It also has a protection spell on it so if you have it on you, it's good enough for blocking two to three spells depending on how strong it is." Hermione explained. "If you don't like it, I can get something else." She quickly added in.

Harry shook his head. "I love it." He whispered, holding the coin as if it was the most precious thing to him. He tapped the coin a few times, watching it change from silver to gold to bronze to dark red. "This is perfect."

Emma smiled in the background, loving the interaction between those two. They might not be children anymore but in her eyes, they're always going to be children. She looked over at her husband who was admiring his gift fondly. It warmed her heart to see that this was shaping up to be a great holiday. She held up a pair of diamond earrings that she adored. "We love our gifts dear."

"This magical book on the geography is amazing honey. It even has pictures on the local inhabitants! This is fantastic!"

"I knew that you would love it daddy." Hermione replied. "The shopkeeper told me that it's enchanted to always have the most updated information."

"I have gifts for you guys too." Harry said, surprising everyone. "I didn't really get a chance to wrap them but I hope you like them."

"It's really not -" Emma started to say but Harry merely held out his arms and the gifts started flying in from upstairs.

Daniel leaned over to his daughter. "Can you do that?" He whispered. She shook his head and he sighed. "I was afraid of that."

Harry held out two gifts in each hand. He presented the bigger box to Hermione and the smaller one to her parents. He watched as Emma took the box and opened it, holding out two mirrors. "Those are enchanted mirrors Mrs. Granger." He noticed the confused look on her face and he laughed. "They're two way communication mirrors. You mentioned earlier that one of the things that you couldn't do is talk with Hermione while she's at school so... I fixed that for you."

Hermione let out a small gasped. "I didn't know you could do that Harry."

Emma felt eyes starting to water up when she looked at the mirror. She definitely remembered making that comment when Harry was here but what caught her off guard was that he actually remembered. "I don't know what to say..."

"Just say Hermione." Harry replied. "That's the activation word so that if you want to talk to your daughter, she's only going to be one word away."

"Was this what you were working on last night?" Emma asked.

Harry nodded. "Yes, it took me quite a while to get the enchantment right. If I messed up, you would have seen a giant size hole in my room."

"Thank you for the gift Harry." Hermione said, wrapping her arms around him. "I don't know what to say..."

"You can say thank you and open your gift."

Daniel chuckled and felt his wife elbowing him in the ribs. He shot her a curious look but she shook her head, letting him know that there will be time for answers later. He sighed and accepted the fact that he was to allow them to have their own personal moment.

Hermione shook the box gently. "I wonder what it could be." She wondered out loud.

"Just open it." Harry said, clamping his hand together to stop himself from freaking out. Even though he thought it was silly to be feeling this way, a little part of him wanted to give her the perfect gift. It took him a few weeks to decide what to get her but when they were at Hogsmeade and he walked through that book store, he knew it was the perfect gift when he saw it.

"Oh my gosh. Harry you didn't."

"What did he get you dear?" Emma asked. She put down the mirrors and tried to get a peek into the box to see what Harry got her daughter.

Hermione held up the book with her shaking hands. "It's a first edition of Beauty and the Beast. He got me my favorite book." She then turned to Harry. "How did you even know? We never talked about it."

Harry shook his head. "We did. It was in one of your letters during our first years. We were talking about books and you mentioned that when you were younger, you loved it when your father read you this story."

Touched by his gift, Hermione pulled Harry into another hug, "I love it Harry." She whispered. "I really love you..." Her eyes widened and she quickly changed her word. "I meant it. I really love it."

Emma's eyes widened as well as she managed to catch the slip-up from her daughter's lips and quickly pulled her away. "Excuse us for a moment. I need to borrow my daughter for a second."

The men in the room shrugged their shoulders and went back to their gifts. Daniel continued to grow more interested as he pulled Harry into his fascination with the book. Emma could hear the excitement in her husband's voice and knew that it'll be a while before he's ready to rejoin reality.

"What was that earlier?" Emma said as she ushered her daughter into her bedroom. "And don't tell me that it was nothing because I heard what you said."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hermione answered, trying to change the subject. She knew what she said earlier and it was just a slip of tongue. Nothing more. She couldn't possibly be in love with Harry... Right? She wasn't even in a relationship with him.

Emma raised her eyebrow, showing that she didn't believe her daughter. "Maybe perhaps it was because you said you love him?"

"Mum!"

"I don't know why you're so embarrassed. It's normal that you have feelings for your best friend. I know I did when I first started seeing your father." Emma explained. "I know we had the talk when you were younger so for both of our sakes, I'm not going to go into it."

"Thank god."

"But that doesn't mean that we can't talk about your feelings for Harry. Are you sure you love him honey?"

"I not quite sure mum... This is all new to me." Hermione muttered. "I never felt this way before. Harry makes me feel special, like I'm the only one that matters in the world and I know that you think he's not good enough for me but I'm afraid that I might not be good enough for him..."

Emma sighed. "I don't think that at all. I think Harry's a perfect match for you. I know you don't see it but you should see the way that he looks at you dear. In his eyes, he thinks you're the most precious thing in the world and that's the same way your father looks at me. I'm not saying jump into a relationship right now. I want you to be absolutely sure that Harry is the one that you want to give your heart to. After all, I hate to see your father hunt Harry down..."

Both women then started laughing at the mental image of Daniel trying to go toe to toe with Harry. It was amusing because everyone knew, including Harry, that there was no way that would happen.

"Thank you mum." Hermione whispered, giving her mother a hug. "Thank you for trusting me and always being there when I need advice."

Emma smiled. "That's what mothers are for dear. Now this isn't me giving you my blessing to do whatever you want with him. I want to get to know the young man who has clearly stolen my daughter's heart."

"What do you want to know?" Hermione asked. "I already told you about Harry's past the other night."

"I know that sweetheart but haven't you noticed that there's something off about him when it comes to physical contact? I've noticed that whenever I give him a hug, he tenses up, like he's expecting something to happen."

Hermione frowned. "Should I ask him about it?"

"You can ask him but don't force it if he doesn't want to tell you. It could be nothing..."

After a few more minutes, Hermione and her mother came back downstairs to find that Harry was all alone in the living room, floating the red Knut with his fingers. Hermione smiled and plopped down next to him while Emma joined her husband in the kitchen.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for the gift." Hermione answered, giving him another hug. "I love it." She felt Harry's shoulder tense up and she finally saw what her mother pointed out. "Is something that matter Harry? Am I hurting you?"

"No of course not. It's just a hug Hermione."

"Then why are you so tense? Are you afraid that I'm going to hurt you?"

Harry shook his head at the ridiculous notion. "Of course not Hermione. You're thinking too much into it. It's nothing."

Hermione didn't give up. She could definitely tell there was something bothering him now. "Then what about your family Harry. I was there in the train station when your uncle started shouting those things... Can you honestly tell me that everything is okay?"

"Yes." Harry all but shouted. He didn't understand why she was pushing him on this subject. Yes, he knew how his relatives felt about him but that's his problem. "Can we let this go?"

"I'm just worried about you Harry. You don't really talk about your family and the only time you bring them up is when it's absolutely necessary. I can't help it if my best friend makes me worry about him."

Harry sighed and felt a hand on his shoulders. He looked up and saw Daniel giving him a smile. "You know as well as I do that my daughter is persistent. I was there Harry... I think it's best if you just let Hermione in so that she doesn't worry herself sick."

"You didn't..."

Daniel shook his head. "It wasn't my place to tell son."

Harry closed his eyes, knowing that this was not going to be a pleasant story. "The man that everyone saw at the train station was my Uncle Vernon. After my parents died... I was left at my Aunt Petunia's doorstep with her husband and their son, Dudley. I don't remember most of my early childhood but it was rough growing up. It wasn't... exactly the most warming place because they didn't like the idea of magic..."

"What does that even mean?" Hermione asked but her father quickly shook his head. She looked up at him in surprise and then started to understand. "Did they..."

Harry didn't answer her. He just gave her a sad smile in return. "It doesn't matter. I'm handling it."

"But why do you have to? You could have just gotten emancipated." Hermione argued. "Maybe Dumbledore could do something..."

"Dumbledore was the one who left me there." Harry said, making all the Grangers whip their heads in his direction. "And I don't blame him for that. Not anymore because no matter how you look at it... they're my only remaining family. I'm the last remaining Potter... and Aunt Petunia is my only living relative that even knows about my mum. Remus and Sirius has given me stories and pictures about my parents and I'll always be thankful but it's everything else that I'll miss... That is the real reason why I put up with it."

"I didn't know Harry... I'm so sorry." Hermione whispered. "Please don't hate me for putting you through that."

Harry chuckled. "I can never hate you..." He stared into her eyes and he felt like an idiot. Today is her favorite holiday and he had to share the one story that would upset even the world's happiest dog. He slowly reached for her hand and initiated a hug.

"Merry Christmas Harry..." Hermione whispered as she leaned into his hug. She closed her eyes to burn this memory into her mind because to her... this was the perfect gift so far.

* * *

If you get a chance, please check out my other story, _Chasing After Death_. It's a different Harry and plotline. Let me know what you think if you guys do decide to check it out.


	14. Acknowledgment

Enjoy the chapter and thank you to the new folks who are just joining us.

* * *

"Are you sure we need to go?" Harry asked. "Maybe if we're lucky, they forgot about dinner."

Hermione rolled her eyes as she sat on Harry's bed. "You've been making excuses all day Harry. I thought you would be happy that you're seeing your godson."

"Teddy's not the problem." Harry scoffed. "It's his mother. The woman is crazy I tell you. I don't know how Remus does it. The man must have the patience of a saint... Damn it, I give up with this tie. I'm just going without one."

"Did I finally hear you admit that there is something that you can't do?" Hermione teased. "Here let me help you." She walked over to him and smiled as she reached for his tie. "It's not hard to learn Harry, I can teach it to you if you want."

Harry found himself unable to reply as his mouth suddenly went dry. He could smell the sweet perfume coming from Hermione and he felt his inhibitions begging to be released. He swallowed that thought and merely nodded his head. "I would like that." He managed to say. Even though the words left his mouth, his eyes were fixated on Hermione. There was no other way of describing her.

She was just beautiful...

"I guess magic can't do everything huh?" She softly asked. Her hands continued to go play with Harry's black tie and she just looked up at him. "What are you going to do without me?"

"Magic can only get you so far..." Harry muttered, a hint of red appearing on his cheeks. "If I can't visualize on how to do something then magic won't help because it's all about what I can imagine."

Hermione giggled and finished with the tie. She patted him on the chest and smiled. "That's alright with me Harry. I don't mind doing this for you."

"I'm glad that you're coming with me..." Harry said, finally giving in to his desire to hold Hermione. He pulled her closer and just wrapped her arms around her, breathing in her scent. "I guess going wouldn't be that bad..."

"No it wouldn't..." Hermione replied, resting her head on his chest. She closed her eyes and just enjoyed the feeling of having his arms around her. Ever since she had that talk with her mother, she couldn't help but wonder just what it would be like to be in a relationship with Harry. She knew she was falling for her best friend but a little part of her was afraid of that rejection. It was silly but the thoughts lingered in her head for a little while.

Those thoughts eventually went away when Harry surprised her one night by asking her if she wanted to show him around the neighborhood. She gladly agree thinking it was a good way to spend some time with her best friend but he reached for her hand as they left the house and it brought a smile to her face.

"I think we should get going..." Harry whispered. "I don't think we should be late..."

"Mhmm..." Hermione randomly answered. "I think we can be a few minutes late..." She kept her eyes closed, just enjoying in this moment. She let out a quiet sigh and wished that this moment would never end. Just being in his arms made her feel safe and that was enough for her. "How do we plan on getting there...?"

"We're just going to pop over there."

"You mean apparate?"

"Nope. It just means that I'm going to show you how I travel around in Hogwarts."

Hermione's eyes lit up with excitement. "Finally! I've been stuck trying to figure that one out for months. I know that we have anti-apparation wards in Hogwarts so how you disappeared that day was a mystery to me."

"Do you want to hold my hand or stay like this?"

"I prefer this..." Hermione shyly replied, leaning her head back on his chest. She was rather liking this new Harry who initiated the physical contact.

"Alright." Harry chuckled. "Now close your eyes and don't let go."

"Never." Hermione whispered. She felt a strange sensation going through her body but forced herself to keep her eyes closed. It was completely different from how an apparation would feel because when you apparate, it feels like you're disappearing into a dark void while being crushed by the pressure of darkness. The way Harry was traveling made her feel warm and comfortable, almost if they we were traveling on a bed of clouds.

"You can open your eyes now Hermione."

Hermione slowly opened her eyes and realized that she was no longer in Harry's bedroom. "How did you do it?"

"Dobby taught me how the house elves do it. They call it Pop and go. Instead of forcing your magic to do it, I can ask my magic to just transport us from one location to another. The logic behind this is the same as apparation but I find that this works better."

"You're just full of surprises aren't you Harry Potter..." Hermione pointed out. "I like that."

Harry smiled as he held onto her hand, leading her up the walkway of a two story house. "Let's not keep them waiting then."

* * *

To Harry's defense, when he walked up to the door to knock, the last thing he expected was a known death eater opening it so quickly banishing the enemy to the wall was very justified. How was he suppose to know that it was Tonks in disguise playing a prank on them?

"I said I was sorry." Harry replied. He sighed and looked over to Hermione for help but only received giggles in return. "Come on Tonks, let's just move past this."

"Go to hell." Tonks childishly replied. She stuck her tongue out and continued to glared at Harry. "Why would Lucius Malfoy be in our house anyway Harry? Didn't that thought occur to you?"

"Nymphadora. That's enough." Andromeda scolded. "Who are the adults here?"

"But mum..." Tonks whined. "Remus honey, you agree with me right?"

Remus suddenly choked on his food and grabbed a glass of water. "Of course dear." He coughed. "Nothing more than a prank among friends."

"That's right. Harry just couldn't handle it. I think we should look into stepping it up."

"Yes... seeing a known death eater in front of you is a clever joke." Harry dryly said. "Why not just appear as Voldemort? I'm sure it would have been funny as hell."

Andromeda sighed and gave up. "So how are you Hermione dear?" She turned to Hermione and smiled warmly at her. "Remus has told me a lot about you along with some of the things that my daughter mentioned as well."

"I'm good ma'am. Thank you for inviting us."

"Nonsense child. After hearing how great you are, I wanted to meet you." The elder woman chuckled. "I can't believe young Harry over there has kept you hidden away all this time. I'm finally glad that I have someone other than children to converse with."

"Hey!" Tonks and Harry retorted. "We are not children!" The two then continued to glare at each other.

"Right now you're both acting like children! Honestly, I don't even know who's worse. You two or Dumbledore's idiotic phoenix group."

Everyone suddenly went quiet at the mention of Dumbledore and Andromeda rolled her eyes. "Oh stop it. It's not a big secret. Everyone knows Dumbledore is the ultimate light advocator. Surely no one would be surprised that he would have a group with like-minded views."

"Um. What is this group?" Hermione asked, feeling left out. "Are all of you involved with it?"

The Lupins looked towards Harry who nodded once, an indication that he was giving them his blessing. Tonks was the first to speak out. "The Order of the Phoenix is a group that Dumbledore founded to fight against Voldemort. It existed before as well but it merely continued whenever there is need for it. The group is independent of the ministry even though our members are a few people from our own government. Even though everyone agrees that Voldemort is the problem, a few of us disagrees with the way on how Dumbledore is handling it."

Hermione digested the information and nodded her head. "So out of everyone, it seems like you two are closer to Harry than anyone else. Why is that?"

"That's because we're related kiddo." Tonks answered. "He's my cousin of sorts..."

"You're kidding! But how? Harry never mentioned that before."

"We're not blood related." Harry clarified. "Before my godfather passed away, he made me his heir so in the eyes of the Wizengamot, I am the head of the house because someone who I won't name refused to take it." He looked towards Andromeda who started whistling innocently.

"If that's the case, if you're all related to Harry, then why isn't he staying with you? Why is he staying with those horrible Dursleys?"

Remus snarled upon hearing that. "It damn well wasn't my choice to leave him with those people. Dumbledore made that call himself without discussing it with anyone." He spat out in disgust.

"Enough Remus." Harry calmly replied. "What done is done and I told you that it wasn't your fault. I can't risk you guys in the event that Voldemort comes knocking on the front door. I will never be able to live with myself if anything happens to you guys. I chose to stay with the Dursleys not because I like it but because I want to protect my mother's sister. Family is family... you can't choose who you're born to but you can choose how you want to move forward."

"Hear hear." Andromeda shouted, raising her glass. "A toast to the future."

"To the future." Everyone else shouted as well.

* * *

Harry knew what time it was. As he looked around, he saw just how clear the moon was. He raised his hands and constructed several silencing charms around the choice. He made sure that everyone was asleep before he did this. Once he felt satisfied that the charms were in place, he closed his eyes and took a deep breathe.

After what happened in the park that day, Harry wanted to see if he could experience those feelings again and the only way to get there was to let go. He could feel his own magic begging to be release, yearning to come out and so he did. Emotions flowed his body as he tried to process them. Anger... Hate... Hapiness... all those feelings that he tried to push away came knocking at his front door.

A loud cry escaped from his lips as everything that he was feeling just came out.

The pain and loneliness that he felt all his life.

The sacrifices that he made to get here.

The darkness that he saw when he looked into his future...

Everything was just overwhelming. Tears started to drip down from his eyes as he just didn't care anymore. He didn't even care if anyone saw him. It was just so tiring being Harry Potter.

His magic continued to lash out, causing it to sparkle in the night sky. He knew this was going to happen so planned ahead and added several different wards on top of his silencing ones prior to this.

"Harry?" Emma's voice echoed through the darkness. "Honey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Harry responded, his voice muffled. He didn't turn around but he was equally surprise to hear her voice. He started wiping his eyes but the tears wouldn't stop. "I'm sorry if I woke you." He shouted back. "I was testing something."

A pair of arms suddenly embraced him and he slowly turned his head. His eyes widened when he saw that it was Hermione standing next to him, a concerned look on her face. "You are an idiot Harry Potter." She whispered. "But you're my idiot."

He blinked a few more times to make out that both of her parents were standing by the door also with concern looks on their face. "How did you guys..."

"I knew something was off when we got back from that dinner Harry. What kind of person would I be if I can't tell when something is bothering you?"

"But I had wards up..."

"That won't stop our daughter Harry." Emma responded as she walked on over with Daniel. "She told us what happened Harry. I'm so sorry..."

"It's not your fault Mrs. Granger..."

"It's not your fault either Harry." Daniel firmly stated. "I don't know what goes through the heads of those ignorant wizards but if it was me, I would've never allowed that to happen. What were they even thinking? The system is clearly broken if some old man is able to do something like that." He angrily remarked.

"Where would you have gone if you didn't come here for Christmas dear?" Emma asked. "And don't tell me your relatives because in the short time that I've known you, that's the last place you would go."

"I... would have stayed in the castle..." Harry muttered, breaking eye contact with everyone. "It wasn't that bad... I had time to myself and for the past few years, Remus managed to stop by with gifts so I wasn't always alone."

Emma couldn't take it anymore. She ran over and joined her daughter in giving Harry a hug. "I don't care what anyone says Harry. Every holiday, you're coming home with Hermione and spending time with us."

"And we're going to visit your relatives tomorrow." Hermione chimed in. "I want to see what these Dursleys are all about."

"Agreed." Emma added.

"It's really not worth it..." Harry weakly argued. "I'll take care of it. I swear."

Daniel sighed and seeing that he wasn't about to join in on the hug, he patted Harry on the head. "Take it from me Harry... It's easier to go with their plan than to fight it."

* * *

Thanks for reading. See you next chapter.


	15. Home

Can't believe we're half way to finishing this story. Just a few months after it started. A big thank you like always for staying with this story.

Edit: Grammer Check.

* * *

"Dudley honey. Can you get the door? Mummy's getting dinner ready." Petunia shouted from the kitchen. She took one look at the clock and saw that it was already half past six. "Can you tell whoever it is to come back tomorrow? They should have known better than to show up unannounced this late into the evening. People can be so inconsiderate these days."

She turned her focus back to stirring her beef stew and then wondered why her son hasn't responded yet. "Dudley?" She called again. "Is everything okay?"

"Mum... I think you need to come see this..." Dudley urgently shouted back. "You're definitely not going to like this..."

Petunia sighed and wiped her hands on her apron. She walks out of the kitchen and saw something that made her stop in mid-step. "Vernon!" She yelled. "Get in here right now! He's back!"

"Not by choice." Harry muttered as he stood at the front door. He watched as his uncle leap from the stairs and kicked the door shut in his face. "Well that could have gone better..."

"What are you doing here boy? Don't think for a second that you are stepping foot in this house today!" Vernon shouted from behind the doors. "What happened? Did those magic loving freaks get tired of you already?"

Locking sounds could be heard from behind the door. Numerous clicks occurred before it finally stopped. "Don't you think this is a going a little overboard?" Harry asked.

"If I may Harry." Daniel said, stepping in. He knocked on the door once and cleared his voice. "Mr. Dursley, it's Daniel Granger... We briefly met on the train a few weeks ago. Do you remember me?"

"Yeah I remember you. You're the guy whose freak daughter." Vernon shouted. "Get off my property before I call the police on every one of you!"

"Surely it doesn't need to come to that. There are a few concerns that we need to address here." Daniel reasoned. "We can either talk through the door or inside your house. Your choice Mr. Dursley."

"Don't bother." Harry interrupted. He motioned for Daniel to step back and then he held his hand to the lock. Just as he touched it, metallic clicks could be heard and then Harry opened the door. "Hello Dursley family." He greeted. "I'll let myself in if you don't mind."

The Grangers soon followed and Hermione wrinkled her nose at the decor. "Why does this feel like a blind person decorated this house?" Throwing shade at Petunia who looked miffed at the insult.

"Hello again Mr. Dursley. This is my wife Emma and my daughter Hermione. I'm glad that we can finally meet." Daniel said as he introduced his family. "Maybe now we can have a proper discussion..."

"Get out!" Vernon roared, his face turning a shade of purple. "I did not invite you freaks into my house! Get out right now!"

When Daniel continued to smile, Vernon felt his anger surge through the roof. How dare this man stand there mocking him in front of his family? He was going to teach this sorry excuse for a man a lesson. Just as he was about to swing his fist, his wife interjected and closed the door, glaring at everyone.

"Let's not air our dirty laundry like this." Petunia announced. "If we must do this in our house, we shall do it in the living room."

"Fine but the boy isn't staying." Vernon forcefully grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged him to the door. "I told you before that if you went with them, you weren't welcomed here anymore. This is all your fault boy. If you didn't show up here all those years ago, none of this would have happened to our family!"

The Grangers stared in disbelief as Harry was tossed out into the yard. "What are you doing!" Emma yelled in surprise. "That is no way to treat your family!"

"My family?" Petunia angrily replied. "Who are you to tell me who my family is? My family consists of my husband and my son. I never recognized that boy as being part of my family. Having him here was not by choice and I'll tell you another thing. If I had my way, that boy would have been left to rot somewhere but instead, he grew up with a roof under his head so I shouldn't even hear any complaints from anyone. Without us, he would have died in the streets."

Hermione blinked her eyes a few times to make sure she heard Harry's aunt correctly. That logic didn't even make sense to her. Her hand twitched as she slowly reached for her wand but before she could do anything, her father stepped in. "Well alright. I heard enough of this bullshit for one day so if you don't mind, just tell us where Harry's room is and we'll be on our way."

Vernon laughed and then pointed to the door underneath the stairs. "You can help yourselves to whatever junk he has in there. If there is even a single scratch on my property, you can be sure that you'll be hearing from my solicitor."

Hermione gritted her teeth and walked over to the door, expecting it to be stairs leading down to the basement but when she opened it, the sight before her left her stunned. "How could you..." She gasped.

Emma walked over to see what her daughter was talking about and when she saw it, her eyes started to burn with hatred for these people. "What is wrong with you people!?" She screamed. "He's your own flesh and blood for goodness sake. How can you even lock him up like this?"

"Mum..." Hermione said as she stared at the small room. "They didn't lock him in here... he grew up here..."

That further more added gas to the already growing fire that was Emma Granger. While her mother continued to scream, Hermione crouched and crawled into the small cupboard. She saw the markings on the wall and it broke her heart. She could make out the scratches on the wall that Harry scribbled into the wall such as his birthday and his height at various ages and some drawings that he taped up.

"Oh Harry..." She pulled out her wand and shrunk everything in this room. "Never again..."

Everything suddenly made sense. The way that Harry was. She thought it was odd that he was always skinnier than most boys when he entered Hogwarts. She also noticed that his clothes were always so baggy but she never questioned him. After seeing this, it just made sense and it was even a miracle that Harry turned out to be normal.

Hermione stormed out of the cupboard and pointed her wand at the room. With a flicker of her hand, a loud explosion rocked the house.

"What are you doing!" Petunia screamed. Her eyes widened when more explosions occurred. "Stop it before you kill us all you freak!"

Hermione banished the smoke away and then it was finally clear to everyone about what she did. The room that once stood under the stairs was no more. It was now just a pile of rubble along with the stairs to the second floor of the house. "Don't even complain." Hermione stated. "This is a small price to pay for all you did to Harry. I may not know the full story but I know what you did to him and you're so lucky that this is all I did."

Daniel smiled and pulled his daughter into a hug. "I'm proud of you dear."

"Get out all of you." Vernon growled. "Get out of my house this instant!"

"With pleasure!" Emma shouted, grabbing Hermione as they walked towards the door. "I just hope nothing serious crosses your path now that Harry's gone. There's a lot of dangerous people out there. It'd be a shame if they suddenly started coming after you just because Harry vacated this residence."

"Are you threatening me woman?" Vernon snarled. "I don't like it when someone threatens me or my family."

"And what about all those times you threatened or abused Harry?" Hermione argued. "That's like the pot calling the kettle black."

They locked eyes for a moment before Vernon realized that this was all pointless. "Call the police Petunia. They've overstayed their welcome."

Petunia nodded her head. "Already on their way dear."

"Don't bother, we're leaving." Hermione yelled as she walked out of the house. She looked around and saw Harry sitting on the curb with his shoulders hunched downward. "Did you hear everything?" She softly asked as she walked over.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "It wasn't that hard. You guys were pretty loud, especially with that explosion."

"They let you grow up in a cupboard Harry. A god forsaken cupboard. I will never apologize for defending you."

"I never asked for an apology." Harry said, his eyes staring at the house across the street. "This is why I didn't want to come here in the first place. I'm not proud of my past Hermione... No one was supposed to find out."

"You should have still told me Harry." Hermione softly stated. "I'm supposed to be your best friend and best friends don't keep secrets from one another."

Harry chuckled. "Secrets is what built the wizarding world Hermione. We're full of secrets."

"Okay bad examine but you know what I mean." Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "I want to be able to help you."

"I'll keep that in mind." Harry said before more shouting started up again in the house. He turned to Hermione with a questioning look. "Did something else happen in there?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think so... I didn't blow anything else up..."

Daniel and Emma ran out of the house with Daniel cradling his right hand. "Son of a bitch!" He yelled. "That man must have a stone jaw or something!"

"I can't believe you Daniel." Emma scolded as they walked towards Harry and their daughter. "You're lucky you didn't break your hand."

"Well that bastard deserved it." Daniel retorted, clutching his hand. "I still got it though."

"What did you do Mr. Granger?" Harry asked, confused.

"He punched your uncle." Emma answered. "Honestly Daniel, I don't know if I should be cross or happy with you."

"Oh so that's where Hermione gets it from."

Emma and Daniel whipped their head to their daughter with shock and awe written across their face. "When was this?" Emma demanded. "And how come I didn't know about this!?"

"It was nothing." Hermione said, downplaying the entire thing. "In fact, I wouldn't even call it a punch. More like a tap in the face."

"I thought you said it wasn't good to keep secrets." Harry stated with a devious smile on his face.

"I meant between us Harry!"

Daniel laughed and nodded his head. "That's my girl." He said fondly. "I just hope it was worth it."

"Let's not discuss this anymore." Hermione said, trying to change the subject. "Why don't you let Harry heal your hand?"

"Can you?" Daniel asked. "If it's not too much trouble."

Harry just waved his hand and Daniel felt the bruising slowly fading away. "Amazing..." He whispered. "Just amazing."

"Are we ready to go home now?" Hermione asked, looping her arm around Harry. "Oh and I have your belongings Harry. I shrunk them before I accidentally blew up your room."

"Accidentally of course." Harry dryly repeated.

"Yup accidentally."

"You know, I never really had a place to call home. I guess this was as close as I got to a home."

Hermione, still holding onto his arm leaned into Harry's shoulder. "Home is wherever you want it to be Harry."

"Can it... be with you?" He shyly asked. "I mean if that's okay..."

Hermione didn't respond, only blinking twice as she stared into Harry's eyes. Her heart started beating faster and faster until she saw Harry lean closer to her until their foreheads touched. "Are you sure...?" She whispered. "I'm going to drive you crazy."

"I wouldn't have it any other way..."

Hermione closed her eyes and before she knew it, she felt his lips on hers and at that moment, she knew nothing else mattered in this world. Her arms intuitively wrapped themselves around Harry's neck and she deepened the kiss. She could feel his magic flow into her body and it was like nothing that she felt before. It made her entire tingle, from her lips all the way down to her toes.

After a few seconds, they broke away for air and she saw a faint blush on Harry's cheeks. "What took you so long Potter?"

"Had to find my way out of a forest first." Harry replied, staring into her eyes.

Emma finally let out a small squeal and hugged the both of them. "We have so much to talk about when we get home you two!"

Hermione groaned and buried her head into Harry's chest. "Let's just disappear now Harry. It'll be a lot less painful."

As he watched the interaction between Hermione and her mother, it warmed his heart that this was where he was meant to be. The idea of having people that really cares about you, not just having you around for their agenda but truly accepting you for who you are. If he hadn't been so ignorant and stupid all these years, he would have realized that what his heart longed for was standing next to him all this time.

It was with Hermione all along.

* * *

"Do you have it Wormtail?" A raspy voice asked. "Do you have the item?"

"Yes my lord. It was where you said it would be."

Laughter filled the room as Voldemort smiled. "Let those fools chase after my horcuxes. I still have two left and with this item in my possession, we have everything that we need to kill Potter and conquer this world. We can finally put those fools in place."

Peter bowed his head and excused himself from the room. As he left, he saw three new recruits standing outside and felt sorry for them. He personally heard stories about this item and if it was all true, he was glad he was not a recruit. "He is expecting you." He said, telling them to go in.

After the new recruits walked in, Peter turned tail and quickly left the house. Just as he got outside, faint screams could still be heard and he shuddered involuntarily. He smiled and rubbed his hands together. Soon this would be all over.

It was a long and difficult journey with too many sacrifices but just like his master has told him, there is a brand new world just waiting for them once Harry Potter is dead. No longer will he have to remember the faces of those fools. All those that mocked him will soon learn the name of Peter Pettigrew...

No one will escape his wrath...

* * *

Thanks for reading.


	16. Training

Enjoy.

* * *

When Hermione woke up this morning, the last thing she expected was to be standing at her front door speechless as the two individuals standing outside her house continued to wave at her. She blinked a couple of times and then slammed the door shut, her face bright red from embarrassment. She looked down and realized that she was still in her Disney shorts and an old t-shirt with Minnie Mouse decorated over it.

"I thought you said they were expecting us?" A deep voice asked from the other side of the door.

"They are. I'm... just not sure what happened." Another voice mused. "This is the correct address isn't it?"

"Of course, I got the address from him."

The pair of gentlemen continued to discuss their situation out loud but Hermione started to panic. She immediately recognized one of the men standing outside. How could she not? That was Kingsley Shacklebolt. One of the most prominent Aurors in the wizarding world. Her initial thought was that he was here to arrest her and there was no way in hell she was going to be dressed like this in her mugshot.

"Harry. Harry can stall!" Her eyes widened. She quickly ran up the stairs and barged into Harry's room. "Get up Harry!" Hermione yelled, forcefully shaking him awake. "You have guests downstairs!"

A loud yawn escaped Harry's lips as he stretched his arms. "Whossat downstairs?" He sleepy mumbled.

"Guests so go downstairs and see what they want." Hermione directed as she ran out of his room to put on something that wasn't embarrassing.

Harry reached for his glasses and slowly walked downstairs. He could hear voices and waved his hand to open the door to reveal to gentlemen who looked somewhat startled to see him.

"You look like hell Harry. Late night?"

Harry rolled his eyes and transfigured his clothes. "I thought we agreed that it would be in the afternoon and why is Nicholas dressed up like that?"

"Sam." Nicholas corrected. "In this world, I'm Samuel or Sam for short. If word got out that I'm still alive... why it would be catastrophic. It would be like when I first created that blasted stone..."

"I think you're overselling yourself a little bit old man." Harry muttered. "Let's get on with it then. Don't make a mess and I think we'll be okay. I already laid down several charms that should allow us to train without wandering eyes."

Kingsley nodded his head, making mental notes as he walked through the house. "Most impressive Harry. I was thinking that you would've taken advantage of the downtime but it looks like I was wrong. I can see that you've been keeping up with your training."

"Is this the latest television set?" Nicholas asked as he plopped down on the couch. "To think that muggles have come a long way since the 1800s. I must convince Perenelle to spend some more time outside the magical world."

"Are you coming 'Sam'?" Harry asked. He saw Nicholas shaking his head and he merely shrugged his shoulders. "Fine but don't scare Hermione again. If she comes down, can you tell her that we're outside?"

Nicholas dismissively waved his hand. "You worry too much Harry. Lest you forget, I am older than everyone here. Combined." His two companions shared a look but decided to leave him to his own devices.

By the time Hermione changed and came down, she was fully prepared to be greeted with a lot of Aurors but for the second time in one morning, she was caught by surprise. This time by a strange old man who was happily enjoying reruns of Happy Days. "I hope you don't mind an old man indulging himself with television Miss Granger." He said without turning around. "I just love muggle technology."

"Not... at all..." Hermione said through her teeth. She quickly wondered what happened to Harry because if he wasn't arrested after all this, she was going to kill him. "Would you by chance seen... a young man with dark black hair and green eyes wearing glasses?"

"Oh you mean Harry?" Nicholas asked, his eyes still focused on the television. "He said to tell you that he's outside in the backyard fighting with Kingsley."

Her eyes widened. Was Harry fighting the ministry on her behalf? She immediately pictured her first boyfriend landing in jail or worse, being thrown in prison. "No no no." Hermione ran out of the living room and into her backyard.

Nicholas sighed and pushed himself up from the comfortable couch. "What is with young people these days? If she only slowed down for another second, I would have added more color to that..."

And to think that he was just getting to the good part. The greasy hair guy was just about to teach someone the proper way of cutting a rug. Whatever that meant.

When he reached the backyard, Hermione was just standing there in awe. He turned his head and smiled when he saw Harry giving Kingsley a run for his money. "You have to remember to breathe dear."

Hermione tore her attention away and then remembered that she had a strange man in her house. "Right sorry... It's just overwhelming..." She winced as Harry was blasted against the fence with what looked like an overpowered banishing charm. "Who are you again?" She finally asked.

Nicholas smiled and then bowed. "Ah where are my manners? My name is Samuel Miss Granger. Whenever I'm in the presence of a beautiful woman, I tend to forget my manners."

"That's okay." Hermione muttered, not used to being complemented by complete strangers. "I really don't mean to be rude but we need a way to stop this. If Harry keeps resisting arrest, he's going to get in big trouble..."

"Oh I wouldn't be too concern with that. Those two are actually training. You didn't give me a chance to explain before you ran out of your living room."

"Thank god. That makes more a lot more sense than the scenarios running through my head."

Nicholas laughed. "Truth be told, I don't believe there is a prison in this world that would be able to contain Mr. Potter. Not with the level of magic at his disposal. The only way to keep him in a prison is to actually have him create one for himself."

"Wow..." Hermione whispered. "Just how strong are you Harry?"

"Strong enough to give Kingsley a run for his money." Nicholas answered. "If you haven't noticed, those two aren't holding anything back. With the exception of not using dark curses, they're actually just about even. The only difference is that Kingsley has more experience than Harry and that is what we're trying to change. He doesn't have the time to grow and accumulate it naturally so we're doing it this way."

"Don't you think it's rather harsh?"

"Nonsense. We wanted to give Harry the best chance he has to survive but I think you've already given him something more valuable than that Miss Granger."

"And what was that?" Hermione asked, confusion written on her face. "The only thing that I've given Harry was..."

"Love. Your heart." Nicholas answered for her. He noticed the blush on her face and smiled. "There it is." He gleefully laughed. "You can't fool these eyes. I noticed it immediately on Mr. Potter's face when he opened the door and I am quite pleased to say that compared to how he was all those years ago, it is finally good to see him so happy. You might not know it but back then, he was just foolhardy. Always rushing in blind and wanted to brute force everything but not anymore. It's almost like he found a reason to want to return from war."

"You think I'm that reason?" Her voice squeaked as she posed the question. "That can't be true... I mean we just started..."

"My dear, take it from someone who has been alive for multiple lifetimes. You know its love when you feel that connection and from that blush on your face, I think you know what I'm talking about."

Hermione mumbled something incoherently but further proved his point as he laughed. Just seeing young people and hearing about their issues made him feel young again. "Those aren't the eyes of someone whose only thought is to win the war. Those are the eyes of someone who wants to live in the future." Nicholas wanted to keep going but before he could keep talking, Kingsley threw a towel straight into his face.

"Stop it, you're embarrassing her. She doesn't need someone telling her about her own love-life." Kingsley rolled his eyes as he walked over to the group. He conjured up a new towel to wipe the sweat off his face. "I don't know what's gotten into our boy but he's unstoppable. It's almost like someone lit a fire under him and told him that he has no boundaries. I barely kept up with him."

"Don't sell yourself short." Harry answered as he dropped to the floor. "I thought I had you those the last few times but you have moves old man."

Kingsley snorted. "Harry. I've been an Auror far longer than you've been a wizard. Don't underestimate me."

"If that's the case, then Nicholas should have a billion tricks then. What do you say Saint Nick? Think you got what it takes to beat me?"

"Wait - hold on. You told me your name was Samuel." Hermione stated, confusion written on her face. "Are you Nicholas or Samuel?"

"I could have been a Samuel if I wanted to you ungrateful monkeys." Nicholas growled. He turned his attention back to Hermione shook his head in shame. "I promise I wasn't trying to deceive you when I told you my name was Samuel. I just didn't want anyone to recognize that I am Nicholas Flamel."

"Nicholas Famel..." Hermione pondered. "That name sounds so familiar... Wait... are you the same Nicholas Famel who created the Philosopher's Stone?"

Nicholas smiled. "Guilty as charged." He closed his eyes and waited for usual shock and awe that he was accustomed to but instead of that, he received a punch to the arm. "Ow! What was that for!?"

Hermione glared at him. "It's because of you that the stupid stone ended up in Hogwarts in the first place. It was your fault that we almost died! Maybe it was your fault that we separated..." She punched him again. "But I can't be too sure but I feel like you're responsible for it. Wait... you said that you knew Harry from back then..."

"I never said that!" Nicholas quickly interrupted. He could see the cogs turning in her head and he pleaded with Harry to help. His eyes switched between Kingsley and Harry who stood there amused. "Let us not waste any more time and continue with your training then."

"Wait." Hermione calmly spoke up. She went for a quick grab on his wrist and held it firmly. "Were you the help that helped Harry? The help that gave him special training?"

"I never said I was." Nicholas quickly answered, suddenly feeling this ominous pressure from her. "He's a liar if he said I helped him."

"This isn't over." Hermione said, letting go of his wrist. She then walked to Harry to see how he was doing while Nicholas took a step back. His heart was racing and the only thing that he could think about was just how close to death he was.

* * *

"Mr. Shacklebolt sir. Do you mind if I ask a question?"

Kingsley nodded his head. "What's on your mind Miss Granger?"

Once the match between Harry and Nicholas started, Kingsley conjured up two lawn chairs for himself and Hermione, knowing first hand that this match could go on for hours. Both he and Nicholas knew that in terms of raw magical power and potential, Harry had them beat but this training exercise was not about that. It was about training his stamina in the event that the fight drags out.

"What is Harry's specialty? I know what Mr. Flamel's is and I have a slight idea of yours but I don't understand Harry's."

Kingsley smiled. The girl was very sharp, more observant than some of the recruits he was currently training. "Unpredictability."

"You mean like no one is able to know what Harry is going to do?"

"Somewhat like that but I think most of the time, even Harry doesn't even know what he's going to do until he's faced with the problem. I recall a time where he actually won a match by letting a curse hit him so he can pretend that he was dead."

"Did he win though?"

"What do you think?" Kingsley asked with a smirk on his face. "This is Harry Potter that we're talking about. Now that I know that boy's fallen in love, he's going to be training twice as hard to make sure that he wins."

"Not you too Mr. Shacklebolt." Hermione groaned. She buried her head into her arms and ignored the snickering coming from the grown Auror. "It's not that interesting!"

"If you say so."

"It's not."

"I know."

Hermione eventually stuck her tongue out to end the conversation but after spending an afternoon with his training partners, she felt she knew Harry just a little bit better. She could see the fire in his eyes as he stepped out of every attack. It was exhilarating just watching him.

"What's going to happen next?" She asked without looking.

"Dumbledore's coming tomorrow. I don't know what he's planning but I think it's something big." Kingsley said. "And no. I can't tell you any more than that right now."

Hermione frowned. "Why not? I want to help. You can't expect me to sit on the sidelines while everyone else is off fighting."

"The best thing to do is to sit this one out Miss Granger. I'm not saying you can't contribute but putting yourself in harm's way isn't helping anyone, especially Harry. I've seen that boy at his lowest, where we broke him over and over and every single time, he's gotten back up but if he finds out that you're injured while in battle, it can damage his mentality."

Hermione remained silent, taking in the advice. She sighed and nodded her head. The way that he explained it, it made logical sense. "I don't think I can live with myself if anything happens to Harry... How am I supposed to deal with that?"

"You have faith."

* * *

See you next chapter.


	17. Time

Almost over the hump.

* * *

After watching the brutal training session that Harry endured yesterday, Hermione found herself contemplating a few of her life choices. The things that she once prioritize didn't matter as much anymore. Compared to earlier this year, the only thing she was focused on was just to graduate but since she met Harry, none of that mattered. He opened doors for her that she didn't know existed. The people she was meeting, the different branches of magic and of course, finding love with her best friend.

And speaking of her best friend, she was wondering where he was. The last time she saw him was during breakfast this morning. "Harry?" She called his name. "Where are you?"

"In the kitchen." Harry responded. "Can you come in here for a second?"

Hermione walked in and was surprised to find her parents sitting there with her headmaster. "What's going on?" She asked, concern written on her face. "Is everything alright?"

"Hello Miss Granger. Rest assured, everything is fine. I hope you're having a great holiday."

She merely nodded her head, unsure what to make of this meeting. "Will someone tell me what's going on?" She looked towards her parents who looked as clueless as she was. "I'm feeling uneasy just standing here."

"We have some news to share that would affect everyone so please take a seat Miss Granger."

Hermione looked towards Harry who remained silent, only gesturing for her to take a seat as well. She sat next to Harry and tried to ignore sinking feeling in the pits of her stomach.

"As you may know, the war with Voldemort has gone on long enough that both sides has suffered enough causalities but the time has come to finally end this war. In the last two weeks, Professor Snape and I have destroyed the last two physical horcruxes that Voldemort himself has created but there is still one piece left..." Dumbledore trailed off, his eyes switching back between Hermione and her parents. "I'm afraid that the last piece is stuck within Harry... and in order for us to remove it... we'll have to perform a complex ritual."

"What kind of ritual is this?" Emma asked, her motherly instincts kicking in. "And why is it in Harry? What kind of monster would knowingly do something like that?"

"And that Mrs. Granger, is why Voldemort himself doesn't even know about this. When he tried to kill Harry the first time around, the killing curse that he used actually splintered his soul into 7 pieces instead of 6. The last horcrux was created by accident and that was what created Harry's scar that you see on his forehead. In order for us to actually remove it from Harry, we'll have to put him into a death-like state to perform the ritual."

"You can't do it." Hermione said, finally speaking up. "There's never been a record in the history of magic that something like this has been done before. How did you even come up with something like this headmaster?"

"I assure you Miss. Granger that both myself and Professor Snape has done extensive research on this matter. We've consulted experts and poured over ancient texts and we believe this is the best way of removing the foul object."

"What are the chances of success?" Daniel firmly asked. "And why are we just hearing about this now?"

"I made that choice not to tell anyone." Harry answered, interrupting Dumbledore. "This plan was still in the early stages when we realized that I have a piece of Voldemort stuck in my head and trust me when I say that having a lunatic bent on world domination is not a great roommate. This is something that must happen if we want to end this war once and for all."

"You can't go through with it Harry." Hermione pleaded. "There has to be a better way. I'm sure I can find one. Just give me some time!"

Harry shook his head. "There is no better way Hermione. I don't think we can afford to delay this any longer. I can see glimpses of his plan and it's bad. He's actually going to march into Hogsmeade. I don't know when but I can feel him growing impatient."

"Professor Snape is currently gathering the materials required so we must make haste Harry." Dumbledore added. "I apologize once again for the severity of this news but if there was another way, I would have found it. I really wished that there was another way but we didn't find anything. I am indeed truly sorry."

"You can do it here." Daniel insisted. "How much space do you need? Our living room if we move the furniture should be sufficient enough."

Both Hermione and Emma quickly agreed, not even giving them a chance to get a word in. Dumbledore look towards Harry who shrugged his shoulder. "It's your call."

Dumbledore felt another headache coming and he started to massage his temples. "Are you absolutely positive that you want it done here?" He asked once more. "It's going to be very dangerous and it's going to draw a lot of attention."

"It was never a question to begin with." Emma said, standing firm on her husband's decision. "In the short time that we've come to know Harry, he's become part of our little family and no one breaks apart our family. I don't care if even the devil himself comes because there is no way he's getting through the front door."

"It's settle headmaster. I'll start shrinking the furniture and you can make preparations to have Professor Snape come here instead." Hermione added. "Come help me Harry." She threw over her shoulders as she walked out of the kitchen.

"I take it you're not pleased with me right now." Harry said, following his girlfriend out. He stood in the corner as he watched her starting the incantation. Her wand movements were more forced and it seemed like she was trying to make stabbing motions.

"Hermione?"

"What!" She snapped. "I'm trying to do work here so if you aren't going to help, then stand there and shut up."

Harry sighed and knew that she was pissed. He walked over to the couches and as he slid his finger over each one, they slowly shrank. "Can you tell me what I did wrong? Is it because I didn't tell you?"

"Give the man a cookie."

"I didn't know how to bring it up..."

"You could have just told me." Hermione argued. "How hard is it to just tell your girlfriend?"

"Did you want me to just come out and tell you that there's a possibility that sometime in the future I was going to undergo a dangerous ritual that may potentially kill me? How was I even supposed to bring that up?"

Hermione could feel his frustration and she pulled back her anger. The last thing that she wanted to do was to have a fight in front of everyone here. "By just telling me Harry. We're supposed to be a team remember? I just don't understand why you wanted to carry this burden alone."

"You have to understand that I've been carrying this burden for the past 3 years. I didn't even think I was going to live past my 21st birthday let alone finding myself falling for my best friend."

"You have to stop thinking like that. There's always another side of the story that you're not seeing."

"I can't!" Harry harshly whispered. He peeked over his shoulders to see that Dumbledore still chatting with Hermione's parents. "Not everything is black and white Hermione. Falling in love with you was the greatest thing that I could have ever asked for but in order for me to retain those feelings, I must finish this fight with Voldemort. I can't move on until I do. I want a future that involves you..."

"Albus!" Snape shouted as he apparated into the living room, shocking both Harry and Hermione. "He took them Albus! He took the dementors!"

Dumbledore ran into the living room to find Snape lying on the ground clutching his bag. "How is that possible? Did he break into Azkaban?"

"He didn't just break in, he destroyed it!" Snape exclaimed. "All the prisoners have escaped and Voldemort strolled out with the dementors following him. This is a disaster Albus. I think he's marching to the Ministry next."

"We need to go now." Harry demanded. "Lives are at stake. Tell me the Aurors are regrouping."

"No not us." Albus corrected. "We have a ritual to do Harry. If we don't get this done then there is no point in going after him. Professor Snape will start preparing the ingredients while Miss Granger will act in my steed."

"Me-me?" Hermione stuttered. "I've never done anything like this before. Can't you find someone else?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "I don't have the time and resources to find anyone else. Miss Granger, I know this is not fair for me to ask you but I have no one else that I can rely on right now. Can I trust you with a few tasks?"

Hermione paused for a second before steeling her nerves. "What do you need done headmaster?"

"Get in touch with the Order of the Phoenix. I know you know who they are and inform them of this attack. Once you get through to them, I want you to get in touch with Minerva and tell her to put the castle in lock down. I don't want anything to happen if we should fall here. She'll know what to do and once that's done, I need you to start putting up silence charms around the house."

Hermione made a mental note of each one until she repeated her last task. "Why would you need a silence charm?" She noticed the shared look between Harry and her headmaster and she sighed. "Do I even want to know?"

"It's more for your protection..." Harry muttered.

"Oh stop it Potter." Snape scoffed. "She's not a damsel in distress. She's a part of this just as much as you are so have the decency of telling her the truth." He then started to unpack the contents from his bag. "It's going to hurt a lot. There's going to be a lot of screaming and cursing and possibility blood but I will handle it that point on. Your job is to ensure that I'm not disturbed."

Emma and Daniel who remained silent throughout the ordeal stared at their daughter with a worried look. "Are you going to be alright honey?" Emma asked. "Do you need anything from us?"

"No I got this." Hermione said. She took a couple of deep breaths and then left the room. "Mummm. Where are the pens?" She yelled from the top of the stairs. "Can you also bring me my books? I have some research to do."

"She's going to be fine." Emma chuckled, reassuring everyone else in the room. "Coming honey."

* * *

"It's going to be heavily fortified my lord." Wormtail pointed out. "They're recalling every Auror they have to defend the ministry. Are you sure you want to storm it?"

"Do you doubt my vision Wormtail?" Voldemort asked. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at his servant. "Crucio!"

Pain surged through Wormtail's body as he screamed. "Th-thank you master." He stuttered as he dropped to the ground. "I was not doubting your vision my lord. I was merely looking at it through all angles."

Voldemort snarled and stepped forward, kicking his servant in the ribs as he walked down the stairs. "If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it you ingrate. You know I've killed people for less so consider yourself lucky Wormtail because the next time you dare question me, I will end your pitiful life."

"I-I swear my lord."

"Then tell Bella to take the dementors to walk right in. I want to see what their pitiful Aurors will do when they're faced with a legion of their own jailers. While they march in from the front, I will go with Greyback and approach it from the rear."

Wormtail merely nodded, unable to find his voice. He struggled to crawl to the door. "It will be done master."

Voldemort darkly smiled as he fiddled with his wand. "If those fools refuse to acknowledge my claim to the throne, I will do it through force. Too long has our kind suffered enough, forced to go into hiding. When I crush Harry Potter... there will be no one left to defy me..."

He started to pace around his chambers, his feet automatically taking him to the large box in the middle of the room. His hands slowly stroked the wooden panels, his eyes filled with dreams of finally crushing his enemies.

"Soon this world will be mine."

* * *

See you next chapter.


	18. Faith

I welcome Lord Voldemort to the next chapter.

* * *

"Honey."

Hermione ignored the voice, the steady flow of her pencil scribbling her thoughts across the piece of paper. It's been three hours since they started that ritual and she was already done with that task list that Dumbledore gave her five minutes into the first hour.

"Sweetheart."

The voice tried again, this time louder. She didn't let that deter her though. "Busy." She mumbled, not bothering to even look up at the person she was addressing. "Can't stop." Her hands continued to scribble.

The next thing she knew, the quill was taken out of her hands. "Hey!" She turned around, irritated that someone interrupted her. "What was that for?" Spinning around in her chair, she found herself glaring at her father who had a sheepish look on his face.

"I'm not apologizing for that."

Hermione held her tongue. She snatched the quill back from him and turned back around. It was then that she took a look at the paper on her desk. She blinked a few times trying to make some sense of it. A sigh escaped her lips as she crumbled the paper altogether. "I don't know what to do with myself right now."

Daniel sat down on her bed and gestured for her to come sit with him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she sat down. "Did you know that I was in the same boat as you when your mother was pregnant? I was barely holding myself together, just praying that the doctors will be able to deliver to us a safe and healthy baby."

Hermione wrinkled her nose. "I don't think I want to hear this." She pleaded. "Can we just talk about how I spent the last few hours writing an essay about the benefits of eating healthy?"

"Sure pumpkin." Daniel teased. "But no matter what we talk about, I just want you to know that it's okay to worry. It's natural to be concerned about the people in our lives but I wanted to remind you that none of this is your fault. I know that in your pretty little head, you're thinking that if you had more time, you could have sped this up or you could have done something to ensure a positive result but you can't think like that. Whatever will happen is going to happen. That outcome has already been decided and we just need to keep faith."

"But what if -"

"No." Daniel replied, shaking his head. "What did I tell you honey? You can't do that to yourself. Harry wouldn't want you doing that so why are you? That boy is down there doing god knows and the last thing that we should be doing is questioning our faith. We need to believe that everything is going to be fine."

"I don't know if I can be strong Daddy..."

"That's why we're here." Daniel warmly pointed out. "That's what family is for. You're not in this alone. While you were up here studying your worries away, your mother has been scrubbing the kitchen clean. I swear if she cleans anymore, we can actually eat our dinner off the floor tonight. That professor of yours, even though he may not look like it, he's been pacing back and forth for an hour now. I've seen him double check his notebook countless times as well."

Hermione sighed. "Can I just hide here until I hear good news?"

"You can but you'll never forgive yourself if something other than good news come up."

* * *

Hermione made her way downstairs after several more minutes. She slowly made her way over to the living room where Professor Snape was currently pacing around just like her father said. His eyes were flickering between the two unconscious men on the floor.

"How are they doing Professor?" She softly asked.

"They're not dead so I assume it's a great sign." Snape sarcastically answered. He coughed and then sighed. "I apologize for that Miss Granger. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. It's been a long day."

"I understand Professor. You don't have to apologize." Hermione sympathize with the man. If anything happened to these two, the world would be a fifty-fifty split for this man. Half the population would be demanding his head on a platter while the other half, the Voldemort half, would be praising this man but the end result would be the same. The hellish nightmare that they currently live in would never end.

Snape stopped his pacing long enough to show a little bit of empathy but just as Hermione blinked, it was already gone. He continued to his routine, walking two full circles and then pulling out his notebook. He was very much aware that there was now an audience sitting in the living room just watching him.

"Is there questions that I can answer for everyone?"

Hermione's hand shot straight up that caused Snape to chuckle. She received looks from both of her parents before her cheeks flushed. "Sorry, force of habit."

"How long will they be unconscious for?" Emma asked the question that was all on their mind. "When you first started this ritual, you told us that it would take two hours but it's been close to four now. Should we be concerned?"

"That's not a fair question dear." Daniel interrupted, shooting the professor an apologetic look. "He warned everyone that this was something new and hasn't been tried before. We just need to believe that it'll work out in the end."

"Bullshit!" Emma shouted. She rose to her feet and clenched her fists together. "Are we seriously going to ignore that there's a giant possibility that they might never wake up from this? Just look at those two! If it wasn't for whatever spell you did, their screams would have been an indication of just how much pain their in."

"Now Mrs. Granger, I must implore you to remain calm. Like your husband has mentioned, both Albus and Mister Potter knew the risks going in. They felt that this was the only way. I was most certainly oppose to this plan but I was outvoted. All we can do is to monitor these two closely."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Emma snarled. "All you've been doing is pacing around! How do you even know their vitals are fine?"

"Do not take me for an idiot Mrs. Granger." Snape sternly replied, his eyes glaring at Hermione's mother. "I know where my abilities lie and they certainly do not lie in the medical field. Do you know why I'm always consulting this book?" His hands help up a dusty leather bound journal.

The Grangers shook their head and he sighed. "This is a two way communication method between myself and Madam Pomfrey. In fact, she's due to stop by any minute now."

"Who is this Pomfrey person he's talking about?" Daniel whispered. "Is it another one of your teachers?"

Hermione shook her head. "She's the nurse at our school. I hear she's pretty good."

"Pretty good?" A voice chimed in as the sound of an apparation popped into their living room. "I'll have you know that I'm the best in my field and I've treated you as well Miss Granger."

"Pomfrey. Glad to see you here." Snape greeted. "Everything's recorded in the journal if you want to look."

Pomfrey waved it off. "It doesn't matter anymore. I've reviewed the notes that Albus left and the only thing we can do is just react to the potential issues that they may have. I'm a healer of the physical body. What they're doing is beyond me..." She shook her head in disappointment. "What were they even thinking Severus?"

"They obviously weren't." Snape dryly answered. "Potter's lack of judgment in this may have been fatal but even I couldn't disagree with their plan. Time is precious and we couldn't wait anymore. I just wished we had more help in the earlier stages."

"So what can we do in the meantime?" Hermione asked, her eyes focused on Harry. She wished there was a way to know what he was going through. From what she could researched, every ritual introduces something new and in most cases, everyone that came out of a ritual agreed that it was the hardest thing that they've ever done.

Pomfrey pulled out her wand and began casting multiple diagnostic charms on her patients. "As far as I can tell, there's nothing wrong with them. Their vitals are completely fine but whatever is going on inside their souls... that's a different story and even I can't help them there."

"Can we stop the ritual?"

"I would highly advise against it dear." Madam Pomfrey warned. "I don't know what state their in and pulling them out now before their finished would cause irreversible damage. Even I wouldn't know how to treat it and you know as well as I do Miss Granger that there's only two ways out of this... Either they finish this or they die..."

Hermione's heart started to break as she stood there, feeling numb. Her mouth went dry as she didn't know what to say. Tears started to form in her eyes and her vision started to blur. Her parents took note of this and pulled their daughter into their embrace, whispering comfort into her ears but she couldn't hear them. She was just focused on Harry.

"Do not fret Miss Granger." Madam Pomfrey's strong voice shook her out of her trance. "I've treated Mister Potter throughout his years at Hogwarts and I've seen him with enough broken bones, scars and magical exhaustion to kill a grown man five times over. He's the toughest student I've ever had the pleasure of treating. If a group of wild centaurs couldn't keep him in bed, this is nothing. He'll pull through. I know it."

"Thank you Madam Profrey." Emma answered, knowing that her daughter was going to say the same thing. "We'll stay strong."

* * *

While the Grangers went upstairs, Snape walked over to Pomfrey and plopped on the couch, the exhaustion finally catching up to him. "I don't know how you do it. Even I was starting to lose hope."

Pomfrey snorted and smacked Snape over the head. "You keep those words to yourself young man. I will not have any of that negativity here. Albus is a tough coot and if he believes this is the way, we have to trust in his judgment. Do you understand?"

"Crystal."

"Good. Minerva told me to tell you that the castle is under full lock down with the ghosts doing patrols but the rest of them are heading to the Ministry. They are planning on stalling until Albus gets there."

"Are they mad?!" Snape all but shouted. He turned his head to make sure that the Grangers didn't hear his outburst. "It's a suicide mission, what are those idiots thinking? Dear god, has Potter's stupidity affected everyone?"

"Did you think I want to be here Severus?" The mediwitch asked, a fire burning in her eyes, as if she was daring him to correct her. "The only reason why I'm here is because Minerva asked me to come here as a personal favor to her. To make sure that nothing will happen to the people in this house. She knew you could have handled this but I was here as extra insurance so I ask you again, do you think I want to be here?"

Snape kept his mouth shut as he shook his head. "Thank you." He muttered, looking away. "How bad is it?"

"The ministry will fall. There's no doubt about that. The question is a matter of when. From what I heard, the dark lord is marching towards it with his entire army."

"I'm sure he has something else up his sleeve. It's not like him to just throw cannon fodder like that. There has to be another motive that we're not seeing. Its times like this that I wish Albus here would have clued me in to who his spies are."

"Speaking of spies, wouldn't it be suspicious that you're not there raiding with the rest of those death eaters?" Pomfrey whispered, her eyes staring at the staircase just in case anyone decided to walk in on them.

"No. I forced one of his recruits to drink a polyjuice potion and left them under an imperius. If anything, the dark lord would assume that I'm being a lazy ass and just crucio me. I'm not missing much to be honest."

Pomfrey stared at the potions professor with a slightly shocked expression. "I don't know if I should be proud or scared of you Severus."

"I'm not proud of it but this is war. We've come too far just to give up now."

* * *

"Did you give the minister my message?" Voldemort asked, looking one of the newer recruits.

"I delivered it like you asked master. The old fool started hyperventilating as soon as he saw me entering his office. How he came to power is beyond me."

"Then how is it possible that you're standing here with me?"

"I jumped out the window as soon as I gave him the message my lord. I wanted to return to your side as soon as possible." The recruit then lifted up his robes to show the fresh wounds on his arms and legs.

Voldemort smiled. This recruit had the balls just to do what it needed to complete the mission. "What is your name?"

"Tommy sir."

"Well then Tommy, how would you like to lead the recruits with me? I'll let you breach the back entrance first. If you're able to impress me, I'll consider giving you an early promotion and some special training as well."

Tommy nodded his head. "Sounds good my lord."

Voldemort watched as the recruit left his side to march with the rest of them. That poor fool. His eagerness to impress will be the death of him. Lord Voldemort does not promote fools within his ranks. He only promotes those with potential and this boy has none.

After a few more minutes of marching, they arrived in Central London, the dark gloomy skies providing a familiar sight for everyone. He looked around and saw the streets empty and several buildings vacated. A predatory grin appeared on his face as he laughed. Those fools played right into his trap.

"Greyback, Bella. Gather the forces, we move now!"

Roars of his army echoed through London as they broke into a run, shooting spells of every kind at the building. He watched as the pitiful shields started to rumble. He needed to make a statement to let everyone know that he was here and he was ready to take it all.

With a quick swish of his wand, explosions started to occur all over the shield. By the third explosion, it finally cracked under the pressure and a cheer erupted from his men.

"Now go." He ordered, his voice echoed through the empty streets. "I want fudge's head by the end of this."

* * *

See you for the next chapter.


	19. Fallen

Enjoy this chapter. I had fun writing it.

* * *

On a different day in a different time, the streets of Central London would have been filled with people wandering around, their eyes fascinated with the merchandise being displayed in the shopkeeper's windows. Children would be running around, horsing and laughing with their mates but not tonight.

Tonight was a different story where the streets were deserted and those who dared stayed in their houses could feel the ominous intent coming towards them. They wouldn't have known what it was but could only tell that something horrible was going to happen. If they were brave enough to peek through the window, they would have seen with their own eyes that tonight was the night that history was going to be made...

Tonight was the night that the Ministry fell...

It was so silent that you could hear the pin drop and then explosions started. Screams soon followed and that's when the crazy hit the fan. Dark figures rushed forward, throwing whatever they had at. Their only goal was to destroy that one building.

"We are not taking any prisoners!" Bella gleefully shouted, skipping forward while throwing dark curses at anyone that dare enter her range of vision. "Go forth you Dementors. The time is now to break from the chains that bind you. Feast to your hearts content!"

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Wormtail stuttered. "It would be bad if they decide that we're food too you know."

Bella laughed, ducking under a binding curse that someone threw at her. She spun around and sent the killing curse in return. The bright green light hit its mark with pinpoint accuracy. "Then run Wormtail." She sang. "Run away like you always do."

Wormtail snarled and turned away, ignoring the snide remarks. He knew his place in this war and it was not to abandon his master. He was his eyes and ears and he intends on keeping it that way. He took one last look at Bella and then turned into a rat. Let that crazy heretic dance out here. He had a more important mission to undertake. While everyone was trying to break through the Auror forces guarding the building, he was going to walk in and start destroying it from the inside out.

It was going just as his master predicted.

While half of his forces were coming in from the front, Voldemort smiled as he slowly strolled to the back of the building, savoring this moment. How long as he dreamed of destroying this place and what it stands for. He licked his lips in anticipation. He could feel the excitement from Greyback and his pack, just itching to be released and bathe themselves in the blood of their enemies.

"Go." He commanded. "Leave him alive. I don't care about anyone else."

Greyback nodded and howled, signaling his pack that the time to hunt has come. Voldemort stood back, watching as the werewolves tore down the door like it was paper and the sounds of people screaming filled his senses.

Voldemort walked in after him, not wanting to get his hands dirty on people that were beneath him. There are only two people right now that he wanted and he doubt they were here. In fact, he wished that they were here to witness the downfall of their own government. Too long have those naive and close-minded fools run their country but no longer.

Tonight will be the start of his reign and once he was done here, Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore would be next to fall.

Just thinking about those two made him clench his fists. If only Harry Potter died that night, this would've already been done. London would have been under his control but fate didn't allow it. They were jealous of him just like everyone else.

But no longer. He will now allow fate to intervene anymore.

* * *

"We have to evacuate Minister!" Kingsley yelled. He could feel the dementors coming closer. "Hurry before it's too late!"

"I will not give it to the likes of him." Scrimgeour angrily replied, slamming his fists on the table. "Let him come. We have all the Aurors here. This is the safest place for me."

Just as those words left his lips, screams erupted from the other side of the building. "Werewolves!" Someone shouted. Kingsley rushed to the window and what he saw with his eyes left him quivering in fear.

"This is the ministry." Scrimgeour stated again, this time in a quieter voice. "How is this even possible? How can someone like him breach our defenses?"

Kingsley said nothing, his mind focused on the task at hand. If they didn't get out of there now, all hope would be lost. As much as he hate to admit, having the minister alive would be a good morale boost for everyone out there. It would be their light in this oncoming darkness.

"It doesn't matter." Kingsley said after pondering for a few more seconds. "You need to live. I will secure your escape so you can meet up with Harry and Albus. With those two, we can always plan for tomorrow but if you perish here, everything would have been pointless. Our people need a light!"

"They breached the first floor. We lost a hundred men already!"

Kingsley swore under his breathe. "There's still the emergency floo connected. We need to get you out of here now!"

"Let them come." Scrimgeour said, sitting back down in his seat. He reached for the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a bottle of Whisky. "I will not abandon my post in her time of need. These people need to know that our government does not back down from any kind of threat. We will hold our ground until our last dying breathe."

"You're crazy!" Kingsley barked. "If you're not moving, I swear I'm going to move you by force."

"Their coming up the stairs!" Another Auror yelled and Kingsley rushed to the door, sealing it close and pushing the bookshelf to block the entrance. "You're leaving me with no choice sir!"

Scrimgeour sighed. He took out two glasses and poured themselves two drinks. "Who are you to take that tone with me Kingsley? I was an Auror long before you even got out of your mother's womb so I would think twice about how you address me."

"I will apologize later when we get out of this."

The minister paused for a second, staring at Kingsley. "We both know how this is going to end." He pushed the second glass to the other end of the desk. "To our fallen comrades then."

"To each and every one of them."

They each picked up their glasses and chugged the liquid, burning as it went down their throats. Kingsley coughed as it went down but when he looked up, a wand was pointed at him. "Sir what are you doing?" He slowly asked, his hand already reaching for his wand.

"We both knew it was going to end like this. Don't give me that bullshit. For what it's worth Kingsley... I'm sorry."

That was the last thing the Auror heard before he dropped to the ground from a point-blank stunner. Scrimgeour sadly shook his head. "I can't let you do this my friend. This is my ship and while I have every intention of going down with it, you don't have to. You can be the light that we spoke about earlier."

He walked over and started to drag Kingsley by his feet. "You'll have to continue this fight without me. The future of our kind will lie with the three of you. I just hope that no more lives will be lost over this." His hand reached into the jar for some floo powder before throwing it into the fire. "Alpha Delta Zero Six."

The fire roared in acceptance. "May you find it in your heart to forgive me." Scrimgeour then proceeded to throw Kingsley into the fire, a poof afterwards was all the confirmation he needed.

In his entire time working for the Ministry, he has never taken more than two drinks. As the noise got closer and closer, the third drink option was starting to look good.

* * *

"He is inside master." Wormtail whispered, bowing his head as Voldemort walked past him. "I've disabled the floo as you wished. There is no place for him to go."

"Excellent."

Voldemort waved his wand and blasted the door open. "Knock knock." He mockingly said. "Is the Minister home?"

Scrimgeour looked uninterested as he watched from his desk. He downed the whisky in his hand and placed the glass back on the table. "You've taken longer than I expected to get up here."

"There is nothing wrong with savoring one's victory. Surely you know that feeling as well."

"Spare me with the small talk. We both know what you want."

Voldemort strolled in, his wand at his side. "I believe this is the first time I've ever been in his office. Officially of course. I've seen it through the eyes of my spies but it doesn't compare to just how spacious this office really is. I'm going to enjoy destroying this and everything this building stands for."

"Diffindo!"

Voldemort easily sidestepped the curse but the minion standing behind him was not so lucky. His wand instantly came up. "Incendio!"

Scrimgeour screamed in pain as his hand suddenly caught fire and dropped his wand to the floor. He tried slapping the fire away with his left hand but it wouldn't go out. Pain continued to intensify as he pushed away from his desk and started to roll on the ground. "Stop!" He begged. "Stop it please!"

"Is that all it takes for the Minister of Magic to kneel before me? I expected more of a fight."

"Please..."

"Diffindo." With one swish of his hand, Scrimgeour's right hand was cut and the burnt arm dropped to the floor. At this point, Wormtail covered his mouth and stepped outside, unable to watch this anymore.

Voldemort slowly strolled over, enjoying every moment of this. "I'm not going to kill you just yet. Oh no. That would be too easy. We're going to have a lot of fun tonight.

"You won't... win..." Scrimgeour slowly muttered. "Harry Potter... will... come for you..."

"Let that orphan come!" Voldemort laughed. "You don't have to worry about that. There's a prophecy that binds the two of us together. There is no place on this earth that he can run that I can't find him."

"You won't... get away with... this."

"I already have you fool."

Voldemort stared at the broken minister who continued to struggle. "He's all yours Greyback." He stated as he exited the room.

* * *

From afar, Voldemort could smell the blood and smoke that filled the night sky. As the victory was already his, there was still an empty feeling in his chest and he knew what it is. The crushing of the Ministry was nothing but a small victory. It did nothing for his plans except that it announced his intentions to the world.

He was coming and there is nothing that anyone can do to stop him now. He held out his wand and cast the Dark Mark over the night sky, lighting it up for everyone to see. For everyone to know that it was he that destroyed the Ministry today.

"Did you bring the package Lucius?"

The head of the Malfoy household stepped into the light and nodded his head. "It is on its way my lord. It will meet us at the final destination. I've seen to it that it's being handled with the utmost care."

"It better be Lucius or I swear that I will end your bloodline right here." Voldemort threatened. "Now that the Ministry has fallen, we'll move to Harry Potter's location."

"May I ask why we didn't go there first? It was the perfect chance to strike."

"Crucio!" The unforgivable was cast and Lucius dropped to his knees, withering in pain. "Who are you to question my plans you ungrateful fool."

"Fo-forgive me."

Voldemort continued the spell for a little bit longer. "We are in no rush to kill Potter. We know where he is. We know what his weakness is. Taking the ministry and wiping out the Aurors will only further our victory. With no one left to come to Potter's rescue, we can slowly take our time in killing the boy. For your disrespect Lucius, you shall walk with the Dementors to Potter's location. The rest of us will go there first."

"It is as you wish my lord." Lucius slowly pushed himself up and apparated out.

"Your time is coming to an end soon Harry Potter."

* * *

More coming up next.


	20. Awaken

A few more chapters left until the end! Let's do this.

* * *

It was early morning when Snape heard a raspy voice calling out his name. At first, he thought it was his imagination and his lack of sleep was getting the better of him. He ignored it at first until he realized why that voice sounded so familiar. "Albus?" He slowly called out as he walked over to Dumbledore. He blinked a few times to make sure his eyes were not deceiving him right now.

"Severus... Severus..."

Snape let out a long sigh as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Thank god you're alive." He said, standing over the headmaster. "You worried everyone you old fool."

Dumbledore weakly chuckled. "Isn't that expected for someone of my age?"

"I swear if you do it again, I will bury you myself." Snape threatened but he lent a hand in helping Dumbledore to his feet. "How are you feeling?"

"Like someone rolled me down a rocky hill. How is Harry doing?"

"See for yourself." Snape pointed at the unconscious body that was on the other side of the room. "What the hell happened? I only expected one of you to be unconscious, not the both of you."

"Come now Severus. Despite the risks, we were able to overcome the obstacle. We're both alive aren't we? The spell was more complicated than anticipated but in the end, I survived and I believe Harry did as well. In the meantime, why don't you fill me in? I believe Miss Granger was able to successfully complete the tasks I given her?

"There was no doubt about that." Snape replied. "While you were off taking a nap, Voldemort has been busy. As of last night, he completely destroyed the Ministry of Magic and executed the minister. I also want to add that almost all of Britain's Aurors were wiped out during the attack last night as well. I currently do not know where he is but I'm afraid that he isn't stopping any time soon..."

Dumbledore frowned. This was very dire news indeed. Losing the minister and destroying the building would indeed cause widespread panic but what's worst is that it'll serve as a sign that Voldemort is coming for them. It shows everyone that not even the minister and his Aurors were enough to stop him.

"And what about our allies? Are they safe?"

Snape nodded his head. "From what I know, most of them are okay. They escaped with non-life threatening injuries but Madam Pomfrey insisted on visiting each of them."

"And where he is now? Has he done anything since last night?"

"It's been quiet and it's quite strange honestly. Usually after a big win like this, I would have gotten wind of some kind of celebration but so far, nothing."

"Very strange indeed." Dumbledore pondered. He then started stretching as his muscles were finally returning to normal. "How are the Grangers holding up? I suspect that I'm not their favorite person at the moment."

"That's the understatement of the year." Snape muttered under his breathe. For the past two days, he's heard several curse words coming from the Granger Matriarch that even he never heard of which left him a little bit afraid. The more time he spent here, the more he found himself at the receiving end of the heated glares coming from the women in this household.

At one point, he was actually considering switching places with that one polyjuice recruit just so he wouldn't be here when they snapped and decided to kill him.

"What's our plan now?" Snape asked. "If Voldemort decides to attack and I'm pretty sure he will, we won't be able to repel him back. We might as well just start packing and run away to some hidden island until all of this blows over."

"I'm afraid that's not possible." Dumbledore answered. He held out his left arm and released the charm on his arm. "It's only a matter of time now before I'm gone."

Snape's eyes widened. "How did it even speed up? I gave you at least half a year left!" He shouted.

"The ritual drained me of my magic, the very magic that I was using to keep this curse contained." Dumbledore sadly informed the potions professor. "If we want to end the war, we need to do it now."

The two men continued to talk but what they didn't notice was that the commotion that they were causing in the living room actually woke up the entire Granger family. They sat by the stairs, careful not to make a sound as they chose to just listen in.

"What should we do now?" He whispered. "I think we should pack our things and disappeared. We're nobodies to that lunatic. You don't owe the wizarding world anything."

Emma agreed. "We know a few friends in Australia that would gladly put up with us for a few months. We can start over if we have to."

"You guys can go but I'm staying here with Harry." Hermione stated. "If he's going to be risking his life to save everyone from the dark lord then I'm going to be standing by his side. It's the least I can do since I made him that promise."

"Let's be reasonable. Is he worth throwing everything away for?"

"Yes." Hermione confidently answered. "You might not understand how I feel daddy but I'm stronger with Harry than I am without."

Daniel looked towards his wife for some assistance but saw that she was on their daughter's side as well. He sighed. "Fine but the moment that I think we're in extreme danger, the kind where it's life or death, I'm dragging both of you out of here. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal."

* * *

"So this is where muggles live. Despicable." Fenrir Greyback snarled. "Where is the fear? The panic? This way of living makes me want to just slaughter everyone!"

"Calm down Greyback." Voldemort replied. "There will be plenty of time for you to cut loose later. I don't want us giving away the element of surprise."

Fenrir snorted. "I still say we raid and pillage every single house that we come across. Just look at all those people that can become part of something much bigger."

"And that is why you're not in charge." Voldemort retorted. "You want to celebrate before the war is even won. That is the mistake that many have made but not Lord Voldemort. We will celebrate once I have Harry Potter's dead corpse in front of me."

"And that's where you and I are different. I don't need to go through underhanded tricks to win some petty war. We have the superior numbers. We have the upper hand right now. I say we burn this town to the ground to make a statement."

"You'll burn this town when I tell you it's time." Voldemort replied, daring Greyback to challenge him. The werewolf took one look at him before walking away, knowing that if he were to start a fight here, he would have lost.

"I don't know why you let that fleabag come with us my lord." Wormtail chimed in. "We don't need him."

"I agree with the rat." Lucius said. "If it's a display of power you wanted, we have more than enough here without his kind."

"Crucio!" Voldemort yelled. "The next person who dares question me, I will personally make an example out of them. Do you both understand me?"

Both Wormtail and Lucius struggled to nod their heads, the excruciating pain making them drop of their knees. "So-sorry my lord"

"When we get to Potter's location, I don't want anyone to interfere. I want to kill him myself. Do you understand that? If I even see anyone pulling out a wand, I will kill you. I've waited too long for this for some idiot to just take it away from me. Now everyone get ready, we're going to apparate to the location and bring the package. I want to see the look on his face when he realizes what happened."

Voldemort released the curse and then banished those two into a tree. He gave them one look and then took out several portkeys. "2 minutes and we're going."

* * *

"Do you feel that?" Hermione asked, narrowing her eyes as she stared around the house. "It feels like something is... popping."

Snape and Dumbledore quickly shared a look before rushing to the window. They stared outside and then stepped back, their face paling. "Gather everyone here now." Dumbledore sternly demanded. "We have no time. Do it now child."

Hermione left and went to find her parents. She's never seen Dumbledore like that before. The way his face was clenched tightly, it was almost like he saw a ghost. "Mum! Dad! We need to come down here now!"

Her parents quickly came down without being asked twice and they stood there with a worried look on their face. "What's going on?"

"I don't mean to alarm anyone but we're about to come under attack."

"WHAT?!" Daniel roared. He ran straight to the window, pushing Snape out of the way. "Those bastards don't know who their messing with. I'm going to get my guns and show them why they shouldn't mess with me. I will make them regret coming near my family."

"Now let's not be hasty." Dumbledore interrupted. "I can cast a barrier spell that will protect us for a while until reinforcements arrive."

"What reinforcements? Your police force was wiped out!" Daniel angrily replied. He fumbled with the keys for a bit before finding the correct one to open the basement door. "You do what you need to do and I will do what I need."

With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore conjured the strongest shield spell that he knew. "I trust that you will watch over the boy Severus. I do not want you coming outside under any circumstances. He must not know that you're the spy."

"Understood."

Dumbledore then turned to Hermione who stood over Harry protectively. "My dear, please be ready to leave at a moment's notice. I won't be able to protect us long but it will be long enough for us to get out of here."

Hermione only nodded her head. She then transfigured the couch that Harry was lying on into a rollaway cot. "Ready sir."

"Good now I'm going to go out there and no one is to come after me. I will deal our problem and please do try to keep your father from doing anything rash."

Emma snorted and mumbled something very similar to no but nevertheless, she nodded her head.

Dumbledore took a deep breath and walked outside, closing the door behind him. "Hello Tom."

"Dumbledore..." Voldemort growled as he stood on the opposite side of the street with the rest of his followers. "I thought I told you that I don't go by that name anymore."

"Oh yes, I believe you go by Lord Voldemort now but to me, you're always going to be that little boy that I found in the orphanage."

"Silence you old fool!" Voldemort shouted, pulling out his wand and throwing a bombarda spell. He narrowed his eyes when the spell reflected off the house and exploded in mid-air. "The ministry played this game already Dumbledore and I'm sure you know what happened to them. Just give me the boy and I swear I'll end you quickly"

"I'm afraid I can't allow that Tom. You are destined to lose. The fates have decreed it but I am curious to know how you found us."

"Ah." Voldemort smiled. He turned around and gestured for one of his minions to bring the package forward. "I assume you know who this is right?"

"Ginevra Weasley? My god Tom, what did you do to her?"

"It wasn't that hard you old fool. I merely listened to what she had to say and you might be surprised to know just how much a teenage girl knows but enough chitchat. I'm not here to make amends with you. I just want the Potter boy. Give me Potter and I swear death will be swift for everyone."

"I'm afraid not." Dumbledore shook his head. "This family is under my protection."

"Then so be it." Voldemort smirked. He brought his hand down, signaling his forces to attack. Hundreds of Death Eaters strolled past their master, each with their wands raised. "Burn this place to the ground."

Once the signal was given, the battle cry of fanatic men started and spells where thrown. Dumbledore's eyes widened when he saw the magnitude of the spells coming towards the house but he didn't wavier. He stood firm and forced more magic into the shield. With every attack, he could feel the increase of pressure and he skillfully willed his magic to repair the weaken areas.

"Give up Tom! It's not too late for you."

"I will end you Dumbledore!" Voldemort retorted. He pulled out his wand and started chaining multiple spells together. The inner circle took notice of what their master was doing and started doing the same thing. Everyone but Bella.

"Avada Kedavra" She happily shouted, throwing killing curse after killing curse.

Dumbledore saw the all too familiar green light coming at this shield and he quickly pumped more magic into that area. After the third one, he started grasping for air as his body couldn't keep up with it anymore. The more he tried to look at them, the more spots he saw in his vision. If only his magic was back at full strength, this would have been a different fight. He wouldn't have been on the defensive and he certainly wouldn't have been here alone.

Several more minutes has past and he finally collapsed on the ground, his shield disappearing as well. As he struggled to get back to his feet, he finally knew what they meant by the fates being a bitch.

"I promised you a swift death Dumbledore." Voldemort's voice echoed in his ears. "I intend of making good on it."

"Take one more step and I'll blow your head off." Daniel roared, stepping outside with his firearm. "I swear to all that is holy that I will do it."

Laughter soon erupted from the Death Eaters and elicited a smile from Voldemort. "Go on muggle. Do your worst." More laughter followed and Daniel found himself less threatening than he expected himself to be.

"Bombarda!" Hermione shouted and the spell flew across the yard, causing several Death Eaters to go flying from the explosion. "What if I do my worst?"

"The mudblood." Lucius growled. "Avada Kedavra!"

Hermione's eyes widened and she quickly rolled out of the way, letting the spell hit the side of the house. She returned a cutting curse which Wormtail raised a shield to block. She quickly pushed herself up and stood in front of her father. "Incendio!" Flames appeared around the lawn as she dared anyone to jump across the raging fire.

"Kill them all." Voldemort ordered. "If they won't obey, then kill them."

"Aguamenti." Several people conjured up enough water to douse her flame but the water didn't stop there. It just continued to seep past into the lawn.

Daniel fired off a warning shot but it didn't deter the Death Eaters from slowly moving forward. He dropped his weapon and helped Dumbledore to his feet. "What should we do now?" He asked. "I don't suppose you can teleport us?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "Not at the moment I'm afraid. My magical core is a bit exhausted."

"We better do something soon because they're coming!" Daniel shouted. He grabbed Hermione with his other hand and forced her to stand behind him. "Don't worry, I got this."

"Protego!"

A huge shield once again surrounded the house but unlike last time when Dumbledore cast it, this one shimmered in bright silver and repelled any Death Eater that was unfortunate to stand within the vicinity.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Everyone slowly turned to the new figure standing by the door who remained oblivious throughout this ordeal. "Must you be so loud so early in the morning?"

"Potter..." Voldemort growled, his eyes flaring with magic and hatred. "I'm going to enjoy killing you again."

* * *

It's got to be an epic fight right?


	21. Farewell

Hello again. Welcome to this week's presentation of Holding onto Hope.

* * *

"No one kills Potter but me. Do I make myself clear?" Voldemort growled. He swung his right arm out, making it clear to his followers to stand down. He could feel their hesitation but he paid it no mind. He waited so many years for this moment, to finally take out the only obstacle standing in his way.

"That's nice but I don't think you'll be able to kill me today."

"Such impudence." Lucius exclaimed. "Watch your tongue boy."

"Or what Lucius? Are you going to strike me down right now?" Harry taunted. "In fact, why don't you take a free shot? I won't even move a muscle."

"Gladly!" Before he could raise his wand, he found himself under extreme pain and his body automatically dropped to the ground, his muscles burning from the inside out. Unable to hold it anymore, he started screaming, begging for the pain to stop. He rolled around until his eyes found themselves staring at his master and that was when he realized his mistake. "My lord. Forgive me." He stuttered. "I mean no disrespect."

"I don't need you anymore Lucius. I have everything at my fingertips so you better think of a reason of why I should still keep you around." Voldemort stated and then turned around to address the rest of his followers. "I have no need for anyone who does not follow orders. Think long and hard before you open your pathetic mouths."

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, taking this time to disarm the dark lord. While Voldemort was keeping his own followers in line, he took the opportunity to take a quick look around and what he saw made him furious. Destruction as far as the eye can see and it was all his fault. He saw the exhaustion and fear from the people behind him and that left him in a pissed off mode.

Voldemort heard the spell and forced Lucius to take the hit. He watched with little concern as the man flew backwards into a nearby muggle contraption. "It seems like you've grown since we last met Potter. Tell me, how did you get so powerful in such a short amount of time?"

"Why would that kind of information be useful to a dead man?" Harry asked, trying to keep the shock level down to a minimum. He didn't want to let on that even he was surprised but ever since he woke up, his magic felt foreign to him... almost if someone swapped out his magic for something entirely different. It was humming within his body, begging for him to utilize it.

"Keep talking. My victory will be all that much sweeter." Voldemort snarled and then in rapid succession sent four spells designed to cripple and maim the boy. His eyes widened when they just bounced off the protego that suddenly appeared in front of Harry. The Dark Lord narrowed his eyes at the surprised shield. He could have sworn the boy didn't even raised his wand...

Could it be possible that Potter achieved wandless magic? The one branch of magic that even he couldn't master? It must have been a fluke. Voldemort reminded himself that this was a boy who was fated to die. His eyes must be playing tricks on him.

His hand gripped his wand a little tighter and sent a Bombarda towards the boy, aimed for his feet but it never reached him. The spell exploded on contact with the boy and he found himself being pushed backwards.

"Potter." He hissed. "What are you?"

Harry didn't respond, his eyes focused on his target standing in front of him. He could see the fear and doubt in Voldemort's eyes and this was his opportunity. He closed his hands and his protego crumbled in front of him. It didn't really matter because before his opponent could register what happened, he started banishing anything and everything on the ground towards Voldemort.

Debris such as rocks and broken pieces of lawn ornaments... it didn't matter. If it was a solid object that can hurt someone, he banished it.

Voldemort saw the incoming projectiles and conjured his own protego. This was not going according to his plan. The boy was supposed to be weak, powerless but instead he found himself dueling someone that's almost on par with himself.

"Incendio!" He screamed, throwing a massive jet of flame through his shield.

Harry rolled under the flames sent a tripping hex towards Voldemort who stopped the spell in order to dodge it but for that two seconds, it was more than enough time for him to cover the distance between them. The look of surprise on Voldemort's face was more than enough to everyone that this match was going to be over any second now. He raised both of his hands and with just one thought, Voldemort was blasted backwards into a grey Volkswagen.

"Kill... the boy..." Voldemort managed to utter out before falling into an unconscious state.

Not giving them a chance to actually fire any shots, Harry started to conjure forth a spell that was so bright that everyone had to shield their eyes. He didn't utter a sound as he slammed his hand into the ground, letting the spell explode from the ground and blasting away all the Death Eaters.

* * *

"Wow..." Daniel commented, speechless after watching Harry's display of power. He took one look at his daughter and knew that her future with him was going to be one crazy adventure. All that worrying about his daughter disappeared and he chuckled inwardly. He was never going to admit this but if anyone dared messed with his daughter, they would need to go through Harry first and from what he just witness... he pitied the people that would even try.

"Was he always his powerful?" He muttered out loud, his thoughts drifting back to the battle in front of him.

Dumbledore merely chuckled, his breathing labored as each laugh sounded more painful than the last. "This is the true form of his true magic. There was always something hindering Harry and up until now, we didn't know what that was." He coughed and pushed himself up to lean against the door. "But once we removed that horcrux, I believe his magic was able to fully harmonize together. What we're seeing now is his true potential..."

The three of them watched in amazement as Harry pushed everyone back and within moments, a retreat was called. Dumbledore smiled and despite the victory, his body reminded him that he was overdoing it. He coughed once more into his hand but when he looked down, he saw blood.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled as she ran over to him.

"Ah to be young again." Dumbledore quietly commented as Snape came outside to survey the damage. "How are you old friend?"

"Could be better." Snape replied, his eyes zeroing in on the crimson color liquid. Dumbledore went and wiped away the blood on his robes but he knew it was already futile. Luckily for him, his potions professor declined to comment. "How is Potter doing?"

"He's performing well beyond my expectations but I believe our young friend over there will soon feel the fatigue from everything."

"We should get you inside headmaster." Daniel chimed in, opening the door. "I'm sure Emma will want to mother hen everyone."

"There is no need." Dumbledore commented, a smile on his face. "This... feels nice..."

Snape quickly turned his head and saw his mentor slowly dropping to the ground. "Albus? Albus!"

Harry and Hermione heard the shouting and rushed over. "What's wrong with him?" Hermione asked, fearing for the worst. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Don't... you worry... my dear..."

"Dumbledore?" Harry asked, kneeling down besides the man. He looked him in the eyes but instead of those silver pupils that he was accustomed to seeing, they were all white.

"Is... that you Harry...?"

"Yes sir. I'm right here."

"I'm... glad... to have... known you."

Harry remained silent, knowing deep in his heart that this was Dumbledore's final moments. He reached for his hand and despite their arguments, this man was the one of the closest thing he had to a grandfather. He stroked Dumbledore's hand slowly, feeling the heat slowly fading. "Thank you for everything... Albus..."

A smile managed to find its way onto Dumbledore's face before his eyes closed for their final time. Hermione then started sobbing into her father's arm as Daniel took his daughter inside. He glanced back at Harry but saw that the boy was still in a state of shock. He reached out to pull him in as well but Snape shook his head. There was an unspoken agreement between them that they can leave him out here for a little bit longer...

"You know that he was supposed to be here when I took down Voldemort and then I was going to throw the stupid medal in his face..."

Snape remained silent, not knowing what to say. Over the years, he's lost many people that he cared about... his own parents... Lily... but none of that hit harder than losing his own mentor. The one person who he confided in.

"He wanted us to get along, for the sake of the school..."

"I highly doubt that." Snape finally answered. "It wouldn't have worked. You're too much of a pain in my ass for us to become friends."

Harry weakly chuckled. "That's why he named you his successor as the next Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"When did he...?"

"Before we came here in fact. I thought he gone mad when he told me but I guess it all made sense now..."

"Minerva's probably going to have a field day..." Snape dryly added. "Are you okay Potter?"

"I don't know..."

Snape nodded his head in understanding. Losing someone close to you is the hardest thing that you'll ever come across. It's a hundred... no, a thousand times worse than any kind of pain that you've ever felt in your life. He just wished he was able to tell Potter that tomorrow will be another day, that the sun will come up and everything will work out in the end but he can't.

Life doesn't work that way and like Albus told him when Lily passed away, it's alright to grieve. To remember the good and bad times you had.

"I'm going to make preparations for Dumbledore to be buried at his home with his sister."

"No. He wanted to be buried at Hogwarts because that's where his home is. Is that something that can be done?"

"It will be done." Snape answered, slightly offended that Harry even asked that question. He took his wand out and floated Albus up, putting one hand on his chest. "Do you want to come with me?"

Harry declined. "Someone's going to pay for this."

"Now hold on for a minute Potter... You just got out of a coma and then walked into a fight with the Dark Lord. You cannot go out looking for revenge right now."

"Who said anything about going outside?" Harry retorted, holding up a very familiar rat. "I was thinking about starting right here."

As Snape took a closer look, the corners of his lips rose slightly. "I leave it in your capable hands then."

* * *

"My master, oh my poor master!" Bella shrieked as their in-house physicians started their diagnostics. "I will kill each and every one of you all if something happens to my master!"

"Bella please." Lucius waved his hand to calm her down. "Potter never inflicted a fatal injury. Our master will be back on his feet in no time."

"I will murder Potter and his entire family!"

"He's the last..." Lucius started off but then decided to forget correcting her. Whenever she was in this mood, it was best to just let her do whatever she pleases. It was easier on everyone that way. "What is the status of our forces? We should have them be prepared to move at any time. We should not give up on this momentum that our master has built."

"Everyone has been accounted for except for wormtail. That rat must have went into hiding again when he saw our master fall but no worries, I will ensure that his death will be quick and painful."

Lucius again shook his head. He took one last look at his master and left his chambers. Whatever Potter did earlier, it must have been extremely powerful to have knocked out Lord Voldemort. That kind of power must not have come easily and he was going to use every resource he had to find out what exactly happened to the boy because when his master wakes up, he's going to want answers and he won't be caught off-guard again.

* * *

That was fun. See you all next chapter.


	22. Aftermath

Enjoy the Chapter. It's coming to an end soon.

* * *

"Hello Peter..."

Wormtail slowly stirred from his unconscious state. The man furrowed his brow and tried to get his eyes to focus at voice. "Who... are you?" His head tilted to the left and then his mind started to function again. "Where... am I?"

"That's not important. You should be lucky that you're alive Peter."

"Alive? What happened to me?" Wormtail asked. No matter how hard he tried to focus, his eyes couldn't make out the figure talking to him. Memories of the battle started to come back to him and a shock rippled through his body.

"Do you not trust me Peter? I mean after all, we've known each other for a while now."

He really wanted to respond but shocks continued to ripple throughout his body. Tears started coming out from his eyes and his fingers were going numb. In the back of his mind, this was nothing compared to the Cruciatus Curse that his lord puts him through on a daily basis but the copper taste didn't sit well with him. It was almost like drinking blood...

"If you let me go right now, I swear I won't tell my lord about this great injustice."

"Your lord?" The figure started laughing. "You mean the same lord who ran away to lick his own wounds? I would love to have him try again."

"Potter..." Wormtail growled, the words leaving a horrible aftertaste in his mouth. "Just who do you think you are? Isn't capturing and interrogating a prisoner a little dark for you?"

There was no response but with any luck, he would be able to access his magic soon and once he does, Potter will pay dearly for this humiliation. He could hear the muffled sounds coming from Potter and from the hush tones, it seems like someone was not comfortable with this.

"What's the matter? Starting to second guess this entire thing? Good so if you let me go now, I promise that I will end your pitiful life like Sirius."

Within seconds of mentioning his former friend's name, he could feel a slight tingle on his skin and his vision suddenly cleared up. He was soon able to recognize the two people standing in front of him. "What's the matter? You can't do this yourself so you bring in the mudblood whore to assist you? Such a weakness Potter."

Harry tilted his head, looking surprised. "I think you're mistaken Wormtail... I just entered the room. Hermione was here the entire time."

Wormtail snapped his head around to found an amused Hermione standing there, looking smug. "Stop bullshiting. There is no way this whore -"

His sentence was left unfinished when he found his jaw throbbing in pain. The copper taste quickly returned as it disappeared but this time around, it also brought a friend. His head slowly turned around and he let out a snarl. "You damn whore, I swear I'm going to burn you alive. You're screams will be music to my -"

A second punch came and this time it landed square on his face. He could feel something dripping down his nose but he didn't care. A whole range of emotions went through his mind.

Anger. Disgust. Hatred.

And it was all directed towards the bitch that struck him twice.

"You damn bitch!" He angrily roared and struggled against the chair. "I'm going to end you like how my lord ended Potter's whore of a mother!"

Hermione sighed and then swung her fist hard. This time, it connected with the jaw again and she smiled when she saw him recoiling from the pain. "Peter Peter Peter... I heard stories that you were the slowest learner of all the marauders but come on, even you cannot be this dumb."

Harry remained silent as he stayed in the corner, slightly afraid of Hermione right now. This was one side of her that he never knew that she had. Originally it was supposed to be him down here but she insisted that she go first. There was this determination in her eyes that made him unable to refuse her. While he trusted her implicitly, this new side of her left him a little bit afraid and given what he just witnessed, he wasn't wrong.

Harry wondered if she learned it from her father...

Peter whimpered from the pain, unable to move his jaw anymore. He wanted to say more but the fear of being struck again was now registered in his mind.

"I really hate hitting you Peter. You seem like a nice guy am I right?"

Peter feverishly nodded his head. Anything to keep this crazy woman from hitting him again.

"I want to let you go but before I do that, can you answer a few questions for me? I promise that it'll be over soon once you answer Peter." Hermione leaned over slightly, a concerned look on her face. "I can understand if you don't want to but if you don't help me then I can't help you."

"Ask." Peter managed to get out. There was no way anyone would blame him. He was a rat for crying out loud. He would rather face Lord Voldemort than this crazy lunatic any day.

"What is he planning next? He tried to kill us but he failed so I'm assuming that megalomaniac must have a backup plan."

"The Veil..." He whispered. "We found... the veil..."

Hermione looked towards Harry who shrugged in response. He shook his head knowing the question that she wanted to ask. Just what is this veil?

"What is this veil Wormtail?" Harry asked.

"The end... of everything." Wormtail replied. "He knows his immortality is gone... so he went for the veil."

Hermione cracked her knuckles once more and Wormtail jumped in his seat. "You're not being cooperative Peter. I'm a little sadden by this." She swung her fist and cracked Peter across the face again. "I didn't want to do it but you're giving me no other choice."

"Please..."

"You need to help us Peter. What is this veil?"

"I don't know!" Wormtail cried out, tears running down his face. "Please stop hitting me. It hurts so much. Potter please make her stop!"

"I could but I won't. You know as well as I do that there is only one way out of this so the faster you answer our questions, the faster it'll stop."

"I swear I don't know anything else. All he asked me to do was to locate the veil. I found it on some remote island near Scotland and I brought it back. That's all honest!"

"What did it look like?"

"It looked like some kind of structure, a stone doorway! It looked kind of ancient but I didn't dare do anything else. Everything in my body was telling me to get as far away as possible."

"That helps a lot Wormtail. I'm glad that you were able to help us." Harry said as he started to walk away. "I'll be in touch soon."

Peter found a little bit of hope as he watched Potter's retreating back but when he realized that Granger wasn't following him, he started to feel a sinking feeling in his stomach. "What about her Potter? You promised me!"

Harry turned back and smiled. His eyes staring straight at the man tied up in the chair. "I did promise didn't I? Oh well." And with that, he walked through the door. Not caring about what happened to the man who sold out his parents.

"Let's continue shall we?" Hermione sweetly asked.

Peter whimpered and then screamed. All he wanted was for this nightmare to end. He didn't care if he had to lose another finger but it would be a small price to pay to get away from this lunatic.

* * *

"Did he give us anything useful?" Daniel asked, standing by the door. "I still say you should have let me blown his kneecaps out."

Harry shook his head. "Your daughter... has a very interesting way in making him talk..." He gently said. "I didn't know she had such a sadistic side to her..."

"I did." Daniel said, smiling. "Who did you think she got it from?"

Harry ignored the chill that went down his spine as he slowly left the living room. "I'm... going to... find Snape..."

"You do that son. You do that."

He didn't need to look back to know that there was a sadistic smile on his face. All Harry did was to tell himself not to look back and for one split second, he felt a little bit of pity for the man that was stuck with Hermione. It didn't take long for him to find Snape but when he did, he explained what Wormtail had told him.

"Are you sure he said Veil Potter?"

"Of course. You should have seen the fear in his eyes. He just wanted the pain to stop so I doubt he would have lied."

Snape shook his head. This was bad news indeed. If Voldemort did manage to secure the artifact, it would mean that something bad was going to happen. He started to pace around the room again, not caring about anything else.

"You know what the Veil is don't you?"

"Of course I do. I'm not an idiot Potter. The Veil was an object recovered during the Grindelwald days and the aurors found it within his fortress. The ministry officials think that during the last few months of his life, he was studying the magic behind this but no one was able to confirm it."

Harry remained silent, trying to recall information about the last dark wizard. "Necromancy?"

"Who knows Potter but whatever it is, we cannot let Voldemort have it long. The longer that he has it, the more dangerous it is to us."

"Should I go ask our friend downstairs for directions?"

Snape disagreed. "I'm not walking into a viper's nest with just the two of us Potter. I value my life." He dryly answered. "The holidays are almost over. Let us return to Hogwarts and plan for the next phase. Tell the Grangers that they should board the train as well. Now that this location has been compromised, it won't be safe anymore."

"Do you think they'll agree?"

"I don't know but that's not my problem Potter. That's yours."

With that, Snape apparated out of the house, leaving nothing but a loud crack to resonate throughout the house. Harry sighed as he looked past the kitchen, into the living room where all the Grangers were waiting. As he spent a few more minutes thinking, it dawn on him that he didn't need to convince all of them... He just needed to convince one of them.

* * *

Inside his dark room, Voldemort stared into the ceiling, the memories of yesterday's battle still fresh in his mind. He replayed every single little event, from the moment when they started the battle to the moment when he was knocked out by Potter...

Just the very thought of that left him seething. Just how did that boy get so strong? His spies in Hogwarts did not mention anything about this to him before.

The raw magical power... the boy was too dangerous to be left alone. His immortality was no longer available and that alone frightened him. The idea of dying like a mere mortal... He was Lord Voldemort. Death shouldn't come to him like some commoner.

He turned his head and his eyes landed on the Veil, just standing there almost sentient.

"Potter..." His voice raspy. "Enjoy this moment while you still can... I'll be coming for you soon enough..."

* * *

As strange as this was, Snape didn't feel right standing in his deceased friends' chambers. Albus passed away just hours ago and he soon began to feel the weight of the world on his shoulders. His eyes slowly scanned over the room, recalling all the memories that he spent in here. From his first year entering Hogwarts to just a week ago.

It was funny just how much things can change within a blink of an eye.

When he returned with Albus's lifeless body, the only thing that kept him from mourning was the dark shadow coming for them all. It was no longer Albus's duty to keep them all safe.

It was his. It was time to shed the selfish and harsh persona he spent years perfecting. That Severus has no place standing here.

He was now the headmaster of Hogwarts and it was his sworn duty to protect everyone within these very walls... and it began with doing research. He promptly made his way down to the library to gather as much material as he can with regards to the Veil. If this was the same one that he was thinking about...

Snape banished the thought from his mind. Positive thinking was needed here, not negativity.

He went straight to the restricted section of the library, taking and shrinking all the books he found. When Granger came back to Hogwarts, they would begin the tedious process of researching and he prayed that they would come up with an answer to their problem.

"Never thought in a million years I would be waiting for a Potter to come back here..." He uttered out. "I wonder if this is how Albus must have felt when he tutored the boy... It was no wonder he went bonkers..."

* * *

See you again real soon.


	23. Jitters

Enjoy it. Just a few more chapters and then it's the end.

* * *

"Why are you still in here Hermione? It's getting pretty late."

Hermione looked up from her fort-like creation that she made from the numerous books. "Oh my gosh Harry. Was I supposed to meet you for dinner?"

Harry shook his head. "That was last week... I'm really worried about you."

"Me?" Hermione replied back in shock. "All I'm doing is just researching a way for us to win this. You're the one that's going to be facing Voldemort."

"You know what I mean. You barely left the library except to eat and sleep... and I hope to shower." Harry stated, sniffing the air quietly. "Your parents are worried sick about you."

"I still don't know why you convinced them to come. It wasn't necessary for them to be here Harry. They could have gone to stay with my grandparents."

Harry held up his hands in defense. "It wasn't my idea believe me. If it was up to me, they would be in America by now but Snape thought if we didn't keep them close, they might be used as leverage against us."

Hermione sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I know and I understand where the headmaster is coming from but it doesn't mean I have to like it. Wait if you're here, then whose with my parents?"

"No one. Hogwarts know that they are guests so she's keeping an eye on them. They're safe, I promise. So did you find anything?"

"Only the same thing from when you last asked me four hours ago. I don't understand any of this. I've poured over all the texts in this library. From the restricted section to even Professor Dumbledore's personal collection. They all describe the Veil as some kind of barrier and the markings around it are warnings for people to turn around."

"I wonder if it's keeping something in if it's a barrier." Harry inquired which received a stink eye from Hermione.

"Gee Harry, why didn't I think of that?" Hermione snapped. "Oh wait. I did. Hours ago! I'm already researching about the events surrounding the Veils creation but so far, the earliest mention of object was back during Merlin's time and no one back then bothered to write down what happened! Bloody idiots!"

Harry knew that Hermione was going to hit a breaking point quickly pulled his girlfriend up. He pulled her into a kiss which she slowly returned. He thought a simple kiss would break her concentration but all it did was unleash something deep down inside Hermione.

Something more primal.

He was caught off guard when Hermione slammed him against the bookcase, her tongue begging for entrance. He gladly obliged and the two were caught in a heated make-out session. Harry didn't know how long they were kissing for and he didn't care. It could continue until the end of time for all he cared. Chills suddenly went through his body as he felt Hermione's hand running themselves on his body, pulling him closer.

He was about to repay the notion when he heard a loud cough and opened his eyes to find Daniel and Emma standing there looking amused. Harry quickly unraveled himself from their daughter and helped her up. "And this is where we keep the... books." Harry lamely pointed out.

"Yes... the books..." Hermione replied, her eyes still in a dazed.

"Doesn't this remind you of something Daniel?" Emma teased, a big smile on her face. "I never took our daughter to be so scandalous."

Daniel snorted. "I'm just glad that our daughter has finally found something more interesting than those dusty old books that she loves."

Just hearing that someone was insulting her beloved books knocked Hermione back to reality and her mind finally processed what was going on. "What are you guys doing here?" She curiously asked.

"We were looking for the two of you and thank heavens that we did. A minute longer and I'll be a grandpa." Daniel remarked. "Does this face look like he's ready for it yet?"

Hermione gasped and then looked at Harry who suddenly found the ground very interesting. She then looked back at her mother who was struggling to stop herself from squealing. "Maybe Hogwarts would swallow me up..."

Harry wanted nothing more than to apparate out of this situation but he couldn't leave Hermione here. It wouldn't be fair... unless maybe... No... There was no way she would go for it...

"Hey Hermione..."

"I'll make what I did to Peter look like a charity run if you dare Harry."

Well that goes that idea. He swallowed his pride and grabbed onto his girlfriend's hand, interlocking them together. "I would never dream of it."

* * *

"What are you thinking Severus?" Minerva solemnly asked. "He's going to be coming here soon. It would be wise to send the children away from this place. We cannot afford to risk the next generation."

Snape remained quiet, staring out into the night sky. For the past three nights, he's been holed up in this office, trying to figure out a plan to get them out of this mess but so far, the only plan he was able to come up with was throwing Potter in the front lines...

Maybe Albus was right. Maybe everything depended on this boy... no, this young man, to be our salvation. He couldn't run away any longer. He's positive that Voldemort found the decoy which would explain why his tattoo burned for three days straight. He ignored the painful summons but it only got worse as the days went by.

"There's no point Minerva... If we send them home, they're going to be targets sooner or later. If we keep them here then at least we are giving them a fighting chance."

"But their just children Severus! How could you even consider the possibility of sending them into battle?"

"That's the point. Their children with magical abilities who doesn't need to go into battle. We can teach them the spells to create and strength a shield can we not?"

Snape could see the gears turning in his deputy headmistress. "Think about it. While Potter and I are outside trying to end this war, the children can contribute to the protection of the castle. If we should fall, there are plenty of ways to escape from Hogwarts. If we do nothing, then they'll fall sooner or later but this way, we have a chance to fight."

Minerva mulled over the idea for a few seconds before nodding her head. "I see why he picked you now."

The momentarily silence was then interrupted by a knock on the door and one Harry Potter entered the room. "Oh excuse me. I didn't know you had company."

"Don't worry about it Potter. Minerva was just leaving." Snape said, dismissing her. "What can I do for you Potter?"

"Have you given any thoughts to my proposal?"

"Why is it so important to you that I need to give you an oath for this? Isn't my word good enough?"

"I took Dumbledore's word on it last year and looked at what happened to Hermione so you can't blame me for not trusting you." Harry dryly answered. "Can you do it or not?"

"What did she have to say about this?" Snape asked. "She does know you're doing this right?"

"If she knew, do you think I would be here talking about this with you?" Harry retorted.

The two men locked eyes for a second before Snape broke contact and nodded his head. "I won't make the same mistake like Albus. I will promise you with an oath that no harm will befall Granger Potter."

Harry accepted the terms and the two of them finalized their oath. "Good with that out of the way, how much time do we have?"

"Not long." Snape grimaced, ignoring the burning pain from his tattoo. "I take it that we're no closer than we were two weeks ago?"

"Afraid not. Whatever this Veil is, we know one thing is for certain. It's some kind of barrier. If it's to keep something in or something out, we don't have an answer to that. We should make the first move. I don't want Voldemort to use it on us."

Snape muttered quietly to himself. After a few moments, he nodded his head. "I'm inclined to agree but how are we going to surprise them? I think that you're forgetting that we don't have the Aurors standing behind us."

Harry smirked. "See, that's the thing. If we know that they know that we don't have any Aurors behind us... we then hold the element of surprise."

"The only thing I'm holding on to right now is an oncoming migraine from talking to you. Can you spare me the double talk and just tell me what your plan is?"

"It's simple. If we don't have enough manpower... we'll just make some."

* * *

Lucius was never one to wavier from his own beliefs but as he stood outside Hogmeade, he was seriously having second thoughts. Ever since that fight with Potter, his master has been behaving strangely. The air of confidence that once surrounded Lord Voldemort was shaky at best and even the werewolves picked up on that. Lucius snorted in disgust. If those filthy mongrels were able to notice it then what does that mean for their grand plan?

With the disappearance of Snape and Peter, his gut was telling him that something wrong was happening but without proof, he was not going to bring this up to his master. He was no fool. While Peter's disappearance was not a terrible loss, Severus was. The man was a Potions Master who they could have replied on later.

"Are we ready Lucius?" Voldemort's raspy voice rang. "Is our forces all here?"

Lucius hid his shock well. His facial expression gave nothing away. "All is ready my lord."

Voldemort darkly smiled and clapped his hands together. "Remember this night Lucius. Remember that this is the night that I will once and for all crush the last remaining hope of Britain. By tomorrow morning, we will be dancing on the body of Harry Potter and those who are foolish enough to stand with him."

"And what if they put up some sort of resistance?" Lucius asked.

"With what army Lucius? The muggles? The Aurors?" Voldemort laughed. "We slaughtered every last one of them. If there were any survivors, I say we let them come. I hate leaving loose ends..."

Instantly Lucius knew who that comment was directed to. It was no surprise among the ranks that his lord outed Severus as a traitor... The very thought that his son's own godfather was a rat...

He banished that thought away. The man was family to him and because he was family, he will die by his hands and no one else. No one makes a fool out of Lucius like that.

* * *

Kingsley jolted up from the bed as his body gasped for air. His eyes quickly scanned the dark room, unable to find anything. The last thing that he remembered was picking up that drink from the minister...

The minister!

He swung his legs out from under the covers but as he tried to stand up, his body collapsed from the weight and he fell to the floor, causing a loud commotion.

"Damn it you old fool. Don't you know you're supposed to be resting?"

"Whose there? I demand that you show yourself. I am an Auror."

A dark figure emerged from the other side of the room, stepping into the light. "Tonks?" Kingsley blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing anything.

"Wotcher Kingsley." Tonks smiled and waved. "Now stop being silly and get back into that bed."

"Do not deceive me woman. I am a fully trained Auror and I know that you aren't Tonks. There is no way she could be here right now." Kingsley snarled, holding his fists up in a boxer like stance. "I'm leaving right now."

Tonks sighed and then pulled out her wand. "Remus is going to be mad if you left like this..." She flickered her wrist slightly and levitated her friend easily back onto the bed. As she walked over, she tripped and landed on the floor.

"It is you Tonks!" Kingsley exclaimed. "Thank heavens. How on earth did I end up here?"

"Ungrateful bastard." Tonks muttered, her cheeks flaring red from the embarrassment. "I received the silent alarm from one of our safe houses. I apparated there and found you unconscious. You were out for a good three days Kingsley."

"Three days...?"

Tonks nodded her head. "Slow down and I'll fill you in on what happened so far." She reached into her cloak and pulled out several vials of PepperUps. "Drink these as well because when I'm done telling you... you'll need it."

* * *

See you all next chapter.


	24. Battle

Here's Chapter 24. A few chapters left.

* * *

"You know they're coming right?"

Snape snorted but nevertheless, agreed with the statement. "Why don't you tell me something I didn't already know Potter. Honestly if you can't be helpful then I don't need you out here."

"Hey that's fine with me. I didn't even want to be out here in the first place." Harry shot back, turning his body to walk back into Hogwarts but before he could reach for the door, Snape sighed and waved him back on over.

"Stop being an idiot Potter and come back here. We both know that this plan is your idea. Not mine." Snape grumbled, painfully admitting the truth. "As much as I hate this idea, it won't work unless the both of us are up here."

Harry grinned, "If I didn't know any better, I would say that I'm growing on you Snape. Are we becoming friends?"

Snape gagged in response. "This is just a means to an end. We are in no way... friends. The sooner this is over, the sooner I'm kicking you out of this school."

"What? You can't do that." Harry retorted, "I'm still a student here and by wizarding law, you cannot expel me for a crime I didn't commit."

"Expulsion?" Snape asked, confusion on his face. "Who said anything about expulsion? I'm forcing you to graduate. There's more than one way to get you out of Hogwarts you know."

Harry blinked a few times, his brain trying to understand the meaning behind those words. "I don't understand."

"I carefully considered my options and I decided that you'll be society's problem. As per rule 1024.3 of the Headmaster's manifest, I have the power to allow any student to graduate earlier and the sooner I get you out of here, the sooner you'll be out of my hair."

"Someone's been burning the midnight oil..." Harry dryly replied. "We can talk about my early graduation later because I think they're approaching." He pointed towards the edge of Hogwarts and could make out a huge mass coming towards them in a hurry.

"It won't be long now." Snape commented, his hand unconsciously tightening around his wand. "Are you sure this will work?"

Harry silently nodded. He could tell that his headmaster was nervous and he couldn't blame him. Who would want to go up against a foe like Voldemort? "If you want to go inside, I'll fully understand. I can handle this by myself."

"Not a chance Potter. If I left you alone, I'm afraid you would end up burning down the castle just to make a statement."

"HOGWARTS!" Voldemort's voice echoed through the night as the sounds of footsteps grew louder by the second. "I HAVE RETURNED!"

Harry rolled his eyes. He was about to throw something back when Snape grabbed him by the shoulders, sternly glaring at him. "What!" He hissed.

"Now is not the time for a pissing contest. Have you learned nothing over these past few years under Dumbledore and your trainers? Look with your eyes first!" Snape pointed past the trees and Harry squinted his eyes for a second before recognizing the rumored Veil being pulled along with the Death Eaters. "We have the high ground right now. Literally. There will be time later when you can insult him all you want but for now, let him have it."

Voldemort continued to hurl insults as his army approached the castle and it look every bit of willpower that Harry had from responding. "WHERE IS THE WELCOME PARTY?"

His followers barked in laughter as they too started shouting insults. Werewolves and Death Eaters alike. To them, this was going to be an easily victory because what can mere children do that they haven't already done themselves?

"You feel it too don't you?" Snape asked, the question just barely above a whisper. "His magic..."

"Yeah..." Harry replied, his eyes locked on with the approaching dark presence. "He's stronger than he was last time..."

"Will that be a problem?"

Harry shook his head. "This trap wasn't designed with Voldemort in mind. It was for the rest of his followers. Once we remove the pawns, we can focus on the real problem."

"I hope you're right because there's no turning back now..." The two of them poked their heads up from the tower. "They're here..."

"KNOCK KNOCK!" Voldemort shouted, his voice enhanced by the sonorus charm. He coughed a little and then cleared his voice. "I have nothing against the children hiding within these castle walls of Hogwarts. I am here for two people. Bring them to me now and I promise that no harm will befall you but if you do not, I will raze this castle to the ground."

Voldemort was greeted with silence and his magic pulsated throughout the area. "Is this how you treat me?! I am LORD VOLDEMORT and I demand that you bring me Harry Potter and Severus Snape!"

Lucius stepped forward, along with Bella and Fenrir. "Just give us the command my lord. With your word, we will burn the castle and everyone inside of it."

"Not until I have those two kneeling before me. Have everyone spread out and bring the Veil forward to me." Voldemort instructed. He turned his attention back to Hogwarts. "This is your last chance. I am the future ruler of Britain and it wouldn't be wise to harbor these two men from me. One of them is a traitor to my regime and the other is a threat to my power. Surrender them both now."

Harry snorted as he listened to Voldemort's demand. "I can't believe you chose to serve this pompous windbag Snape. What made you think this lunatic would have been a great choice?"

"Focus Potter! We only have one shot at this. I don't have to tell you how many people are depending on us right now. The future of Magical Britain rests on our shoulders!"

"Relax. I got this." Harry assured his poor headmaster. He stood up and with his wand comfortably sitting in his hand, he pointed at Voldemort before smiling. "Boom."

The ground next to Voldemort's feet suddenly exploded, sending the Dark Lord flying backwards into his Death Eaters. "Let go of me you fools!" He snarled as he stood back up. His eyes frantically searched the area looking for the person responsible for this.

"Burn this hellhole to the ground."

His men darkly smiled at the order and prepared themselves to start demolishing the castle but before they could even get the first syllable out of their mouths, explosions simultaneously occurred all over Hogwarts. Panic and fear set in with everyone and Voldemort couldn't help but watch helplessly as his army was being taken out.

"Potter!" He roared and threw the strongest bombarda spell he could muster at the castle doors. In his anger, he didn't notice the slim silver glimmer that surrounded the castle and within seconds after the spell was cast, it was quickly reflected back towards him. His eyes widened as his body somehow screamed for his legs to jump out of the way. He landed face first on the ground and as he laid there, his eyes quickly scanned the area and saw that a good chunk of his men were taken out by the surprise explosions.

The rest of his army wisely retreated a few feet back, forming a close circle. Unfortunately for them, the moment that they closed the last link, Harry apparated in front of them with a big smile on their face. "Leave this to the grownups yeah?"

He waved his hand and banished them several feet back into the forest. The screaming then started and Harry turned around. All that prep work of luring the acromantula colony to the front of the forest was ingenious. Who knew Aragog would be so understanding about joining the fight.

Voldemort dusted himself off as a look of disgust crossed his face. "How can you call yourself a wizard and still associate yourself with the likes of these... creatures..."

"See that right there. That's the difference between us. You see worthless and scum but I see potential. I see an ally who wants to the same thing as the rest of the world. Just to be left alone."

"I will give you credit boy for this plan. I did not think you had it in you to do what is necessary."

"What is necessary is ending this pointless war that you started. This ends today." Harry stated, his eyes staring straight at Voldemort. "No one else will be dying today."

"You and what army Potter. Take a good look around you! The Aurors have fallen. Dumbledore has fallen. There _is_ no one else left."

Harry shook your head. "Not all the Aurors have fallen. You missed one."

Voldemort's eyes widened as he turned around and the castle doors slowly opened. Kingsley limped out with some assistance from Snape while holding his official Auror's badge. "Impossible."

"Justice will be branded today monster." Kingsley snarled. "For all the fallen men and women, I hereby place you under arrest for crime against the ministry. If you choose to resist, you will be put down."

"It's just one traitor and one crippled Auror." Fenrir said laughing. "I will take this one. My pack and I are hungry for some revenge." The werewolf howled into the night, and several seconds later, more and more werewolves stepped into the light. "Take your minions Voldemort. The pack will handle this."

Voldemort narrowed his eyes but nodded regardless. "Kill them all."

Harry sighed and snapped his fingers as beams of light shot out of the forest, harmlessly grazing past Harry as they struck several Death Eaters on the chest. "I didn't say it was just one Auror."

"One Auror or a hundred, it makes no difference to me Potter. I've killed them once, I will do it again!"

* * *

Inside the Great Hall, Hermione sat at the table with her parents, whispering among themselves. "Are you sure we should be inside while the fighting is out there?" Daniel asked. "What if they need help? Having more numbers on our side isn't a bad thing you know."

Minerva shook her head. "I understand what you're saying Mr. Granger but in order for Harry's plan to work, he needs to sell the illusion. The less people that are involved, the better he'll do."

Emma bit her lips nervously. "I don't understand how you people can be so calm. There's a big possibility that Harry won't walk back through those doors."

Hermione took her mother's hand and gently calmed her down. "I want to be out there too Mum but I promised him that I would be waiting for him right here. With all of my heart, I believe that he won't break his promise to me."

"How can you be so sure dear? Both of you are so young... Children should never be in the front lines like that."

"You've seen Harry Mum. He's the strongest person here... If anyone has a chance of winning this... it's him."

"I agree with your daughter Mrs. Granger and I'm not saying that because I'm her professor. I've seen your daughter grow up from a child to a fine young woman who I am proud to call a friend."

Emma looked at her husband who nodded his head. "Oh Hermione... when did you grow up? It was like I just blinked and instead of the chubby little princess eating sand, I have a fully grown daughter who found someone worthy of her love..."

"I'm still going to kill him after this..." Daniel muttered as he was pulled into the family hug.

Minerva sincerely smiled as she looked at this picture perfect family. This is what they needed right now. Unity and love. It pained her greatly when they went over the plan earlier and they didn't include her in the fight. In fact, she was a little insulted but as Harry explained, her place was with the children as an educator. Not a soldier.

"If only your parents were alive to see you now Harry..." The deputy headmistress whispered. "They would be so proud of you... With courage like James and cunning like Lily... you really are the best of both worlds..."

As the explosions started, she marched herself to the center of the hall and proceed to instruct everyone to start with phase two. The protection of Hogwarts herself.

* * *

Enjoy hopefully.


	25. Baited

Happy Halloween.

* * *

"I hope you two know what you're doing." Kingsley muttered as he stood his ground. He looked over to his companion who stood there with a stoic look on his face. "Are you ready for your first debut Headmaster Snape?"

Snape coughed and pushed the fear that was crawling up his throat. He took a very long deep breath and nodded his head. There were people counting on him now. The children that were hiding in the castle. The future of Magical Britain.

"Fucking Albus." He cursed. "If I had known just how much this position entails, I would have told him to shove it."

Kingsley snickered. "Look at it this way. He chose you out of everyone else to handle this. He didn't choose Minerva or any other professor. He chose you because he had faith in your abilities to lead and protect the children."

"I think he must have been senile then." Snape dryly added. "But I guess anything beats being surrounded by werewolves."

The last remaining Auror laughed. "This is nothing. Did I ever tell you about the time where I was accidentally transported to a deserted island that was filled with nothing but the undead?"

"It can't be that bad if you're still here standing." The former potions professor pointed out and then turned his attention back to the gathering of werewolves. "That, on the other hand, might be a little bit more difficult to deal with."

"Do you have a plan?" Kingsley whispered, his wand pointed at the enemy. At this point, half of him was wishing that he never listened to Harry's asinine plan. "Please tell me you have a plan."

"Of course I have one." Snape snapped. "I assume that whatever happens here won't be reflected afterwards?"

The Auror remained silent, unsure of how to answer that question. On one hand, this man was a former servant of the dark lord and it could all be a long con but on the other hand, he wasn't going to die here like this. Against all odds, he gritted his teeth and mumbled. "Do what you need."

"Excellent." Snape said, smiling as his wand was already going through the motions of casting. "Fenrir!"

The leader of the werewolves pushed his way to the front, sneering at his prey. "What does a dead man want with me?"

"Do you remember Remus Lupin?"

"Should I? I don't keep track of all my kills." Fenrir roared out in laughter. "Just like I won't remember the names of you two."

Snape shook his head. "You really should because you never know when friends of your victims might come after you with a vengeance." Without any warning, he dropped a vial onto the floor and grabbed Kingsley as they ran for cover.

Before Kingsley could fully understand what happened, screams echoed through the area, making him look onward with surprise as the werewolves were on the floor, trying to claw off their own skin. All of them were rolling around on the ground, almost if something was burning them from the inside out.

"What did you do?"

"That was silver melted down into a powdery form. I laced the powder with a very addictive substance to make it more toxic to werewolves." Snape explained. "Since neither of us can match up against a single werewolf, let alone a whole pack, I needed to get them to come towards us. Potter's idea was to use one of us as bait and then just throw this silver powder at them. We deduced that if they inhale even the slightest bit into their body, it would be fatal to them. Or so we hoped."

"And if that didn't work?" Kingsley asked, still looking at the enemy wrangling in pain. "What was your plan B?"

"Then we burn them." Snape answered and then threw a bottle that looked like Fiendfyre towards the werewolves. "The world is better without them anyway. We have enough darkness in this world as it is."

The two men looked on as their enemies went up in flames, hopefully scorching the last remains of the evil werewolves... forever.

* * *

"What are you going to do now Voldemort?" Harry taunted as he weaved through the trees, dodging and repelling spells. "I think those were the screams of your minions. Give it up, you won't win."

"It doesn't matter you fool." Voldemort hissed. "I will get more minions once I rid this world of you."

"Exploda!" Harry yelled. "Exploda Maxima!"

Voldemort saw the beam coming and summoned a nearby boulder to take the hit. "Child's play. I expected more from you."

Harry then stopped running and shook his head. "You really need to get off your high horse because if you don't, you're going to get burned." He quickly pocked his wand and slammed his hand to the ground.

What came next took Voldemort by surprise as the path that he was running on suddenly changed into concrete spikes, impaling him through his feet. He roared out in pain as he fell to the ground but not before throwing several dark curses that caught Harry off guard.

Harry blacked out for a few seconds before realizing what actually hit him. He clutched the side of his ribs as he struggled to get back on his feet. He waved his warm and conjured several shields to put some distance between Voldemort and himself.

"Foolish boy." Voldemort retorted, already standing up and glaring at Harry. "Do you even have what it takes to lead this world? Do you even know what to do with all that power that I granted you?"

"I never asked for this." Harry replied, coughing up some blood. He closed his eyes as he took several deep breathes. "I was just an ordinary boy who wanted an ordinary life. I didn't ask for any of this! You could have left me alone and I would have been more than happy to have looked the other way."

"You are a wizard Harry Potter. Have you no pride in that?" Voldemort broke through the shields through sheer force, the pain in his foot long forgotten. "Where was that magic that you had several days ago Harry Potter?! That was the boy that I want to kill."

Harry gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain. "If you wanted to kill me yourself, then what was the purpose of that Veil? Is it all for show and tell?"

Voldemort laughed. "That Veil is what will mark the end of Hogwarts. Why should I waste my magic destroying that pathetic excuse for a castle when this thing will do it for me? With one touch, I can have it devour anything in its path. Ancient magic or not."

"That's what I needed to know." Harry smirked and then chucked his wand straight at Voldemort.

Voldemort watched in amusement as the wand harmlessly sailed past his head. "Have you finally decided to surrender Potter? I must say, I expected more from the boy who lived..."

"From one dead person to another... exploda!"

Voldemort's eyes widened as he hastily conjured up his own shield and waited for the explosion... but it never came from in front of him. When the explosion occurred, he spun his body around so fast that he finally registered where he was and what Potter was planning all along.

"You FOOL!" Voldemort screamed, jumping to the ground. He dug his fingers into the ground, trying to find whatever holding he could.

Harry laughed in response as he kept his eyes closed, the sounds of whooshing wind rushing through the courtyard. For the past twenty minutes, he played a game of cat and mouse, luring the world's most dangerous person to this exact spot. In front of the Veil.

From what he learned from Hermione, this artifact was known to most people, even Voldemort as a barrier... a gate and what was behind any gate? A path to somewhere. For all he knew, it could have been an empty window and he would have died in a very sad way. It would have been very un-heroic of him but what the hell. If he was going to die, he always said he was going to go out with a bang.

"What have you done Potter?!"

"I'm ending this war!" Harry shouted back, opening his eyes to see Voldemort trying to stop the Veil from sucking him in. "There's no point in trying anything. This place was especially warded for the two of us. No apparation, no teleporting, no escaping."

Inch by inch, Voldemort felt his grip slipping and all he could think about was the annoying obstacle that started all of this. He screamed once more and summoned every ounce of magic he had. He pointed towards Harry and screamed, "Accio Harry Potter!"

This time it was Harry to be surprised. He found himself moving towards Voldemort and threw out rapid fire cutting curses. Voldemort took the hit without hesitation as his hand grabbed onto Harry's ankle for dear life.

"Let go of me you crazy lunatic!"

"We're bonded you and I! Wherever you go, I follow. Alas that is our fate Harry Potter!" Voldemort crackled. "I might not have won this war but I will die knowing that I took you with me!"

Harry frantic started kicking the deranged man, hoping that one of those kicks would cause Voldemort to lose his grip. He was seriously starting to reconsider this plan because in just a few minutes, he was going to get sucked into the Veil and from where he was sitting, it looked like nothing but death!

He could feel the dark magic radiating off Voldemort, fully knowing that his intent was to drag him down as well. He wandlessly threw out anything that he could think off at the man but nothing worked. His grip remained strong on his ankle.

"This is going to suck." Harry muttered to himself. There were plenty of ways to remedy this solution but he was not particularly fond of any of them. He sighed. "The things I do for my country..."

* * *

After the fourth explosion Hermione ran out of Hogwarts, her heart beating faster and faster. She couldn't explain to her parents why she needed to run out here. Something was calling out to her to go where Harry was. Her eyes quickly scanned the area, looking for signs of where her boyfriend's battle was taking place. She heard some more explosions towards the school courtyard and ran towards the noise.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled into the area, her eyes searching through the dust. "HARRY!"

"Miss Granger!" A voice yelled. "You cannot go in there!"

A firm hand gripped her by the shoulders, preventing her from taking another step forward. "Let go of me before I remove your hand myself." She growled. "Whoever you are, I'm giving you to a count of three."

"I will stun you if you don't calm down."

"Headmaster?" Hermione hesitantly asked, finally able to make out the figure. "Is that you?"

"Of course it is." Snape snorted. "Who else would be dumb enough to be out here?"

"You have to let me go. I have to find Harry! I think he's hurt out there!"

"No. You cannot." Snape answered, shooting down her request. "It's much too dangerous out there and Potter wouldn't want you in harm's way. You need to turn back around and go back into the castle. I will come find you when this is all over."

"You can't stop me!" Hermione twisted her body sideways and ducked under Snape's arm, narrowly missing his second attempt but before she could take it three feet, she found herself unable to move her body.

Snape let out a long sigh as he walked in front of his wayward student. "I swore to him that no harm would come your way Miss Granger and I intend to keep my oath. Albus might have been lenient in the past but I certainly will not risk one of my brightest students like this."

He smirked when he saw the pure rage coming from Hermione's eyes and decided not to press his luck any longer. "I know that you're mad but you have to understand. This wasn't personal at all." He paused for a second before adding, "You want to kill me don't you?"

The murderous intent from her eyes was all the answer that he needed.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "I would rather face your wrath any day. You don't scare me. I've been living as a spy for Dumbledore for nearly two decades. I've endured torture unlike anything you have ever experience. There is nothing that you can do to me that I would be scared of."

Her eyes soften but there was still anger in her eyes.

"Just... trust me on this Miss Granger. I assure you that Potter will be fine and that he'll be back on his feet annoying me before you know it now I'm going to release this spell and I trust that you won't do anything stupid. Do I have your word?"

Hermione did the best she could to communicate with her eyes and that must have worked because Snape released her a few seconds afterwards. She coughed as she took several deep breaths of air. "Can you go check on him then?"

"I would have done so without you asking." Snape answered, already walking to the courtyard. "Go back into the castle. I will find you afterwards."

"You better..." Hermione whispered as she watched the retreating back of her headmaster. "Please be alright Harry..."

* * *

See you next chapter.


	26. Patience

Hope this chapter was subpar.

* * *

"He's going to be alright honey." Emma stated, looping her arm around her daughter as they sat inside the castle. "We both know that something like that monster won't be enough to take down your boyfriend."

"How can you confidently say that mum?" Hermione whispered, her eyes staring at the floor. "Harry's going up against the most dangerous person of all time and he's doing it alone. He needs me out there! I know that I can help him!"

Emma sighed, "And what if you get hurt? Or worse die? How can you be so selfish like that?"

"Selfish?" Hermione asked, a shock expression on her face. "Please tell me how I'm selfish _mother_? Is it wrong that I want to have Harry's back? That I want to make sure that the man I love will make it back home?"

"Do not take that tone with me Hermione." Emma snapped, glaring as if she was daring her only daughter to try to cross her. "Do not for one second think that you are the only one who cares about Harry. I care about him just as much as you do and if I had my choice, neither of you would be here right now. We would be somewhere in America hiding out."

"Mum..."

"Do you think your father is okay with just sitting here? Have you not notice just how jumpy he is? He wants to be out there more, regardless of who or what creature he's facing. He wants to be the one standing in front of Harry but instead, he's been told to just stay inside where he's safe." Emma rattled on. "Can you ever imagine a world where your father has done anything safe?"

Hermione shook her head, a small smile on her face. "Is that why you banned him from the kitchen?"

"The man melted the glass off my pot honey. In an oven. How can someone turn on an oven without checking if there's anything inside of it first!"

"Is this how you feel when daddy does something stupid? Or when... I come back to Hogwarts?"

Emma nodded her head. "I'm your mother honey. I'm always going to worry about the people that I care about and that includes Harry. Can you imagine what Harry just go through if he has to worry about you while fighting that monster?"

"What should I do then mum? I feel so helpless just sitting here doing nothing."

"There's always something to do sweetheart. I'm sure if you asked, your professor can give you a list of things. As long as Harry knows that the people who love him are safe, he's going to do his best to win and come home."

Just as the conversation was going, they were suddenly interrupted with several loud noises of a bell chime echoing through the castle. Hermione stood up looking confused. "What's going on?"

A student suddenly ran into their room, the doors banging itself against the wall from the sheer force, "It's over!" The boy shouted. "He's won!" Just as quickly as he relayed the message, the boy was gone and onto the room.

Emma smiled and pulled Hermione into a big hug. "See. Now come on, let's find your father and go outside. I'm sure you want to find Harry."

The Grangers made their way into the Great Hall, loud cheering noises erupting from everyone inside the castle. Celebratory fireworks were lit up into the ceiling and the professors did nothing but smile as they too felt the same. Hermione grabbed onto her mother's hand as they pushed their way out of the Hall. They found Daniel already waiting by the doors, waiting anxiously for them as well.

"Are you ready?"

Both of the women nodded. "Is it bad outside?" Hermione asked, slightly afraid.

Daniel nodded his head. "I'm not going to lie to you. This is what war looks like and I want you to remember it. Even though I pray that it will never happen again, we should never forget the sacrifices that people made to achieve this victory. War is not pretty. It is messy and dangerous and I don't want anyone to forget that."

He grabbed both of their hands and they walked out the door together, united as a family. The sight outside was worse than anything he could have imagined. The smell of burnt flesh was in the air and he did everything in his power not to vomit from it. Bodies were on the ground, some of them missing limbs and even some that didn't have an upper torso.

"My god..." He heard his wife gasp.

"Don't look at them. Focus on Harry."

On his left, he felt his daughter shivering and pulled her closer. Sounds of wild animals from the forest made their walk quicker as no one wanted to find out which animal made those noises.

As they reached the courtyard, they stopped momentarily and stared at the destruction that unfolded here. Daniel could only imagine just how bad it would have been for Harry.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled, her eyes frantically scanning for her boyfriend. "HARRY!"

Emma and Daniel then started to walk around, each one of them yelling for Harry as well. "Do you think he's..."

Daniel shook his head. "The boy's alive. If he died like this then our Hermione would have kicked his ass for it."

While her parents were off searching for Harry on one side, she found Headmaster Snape walking in from the right. "Headmaster!" She waved to get his attention before running over. "Did you find Harry? Is he alright?"

Snape shook his head. "Miss Granger! What did I tell you earlier about coming out here? It's still dangerous and we haven't done a sweep of the courtyard yet."

"It's fine Snape." Kingsley chimed in, limping into the conversation. "You can feel it too don't you Miss Granger."

"Feel what?" Hermione asked, confused.

"The magic in the air." The Auror pointed out. "Or more properly, the lack of magic. Ever since the fight between Voldemort and Harry ended, I can't seem to pinpoint any kind of magic and that's strange because we're standing on Hogwarts, the school that was built with Magic. The founders themselves poured their magic into this place so I find it very disturbing that nothing is left."

The information suddenly clicked in Hermione's head. "Does that mean that..."

"I can only hope Miss Granger." Snape said, finishing her thought. "This is why I didn't want you out here in the first place. If Voldemort is alive, he is still dangerous and because we still have no clue what happened, this area is considered closed to the general population which includes you.

Just as Hermione was about to argue that point, her parents suddenly shouted Harry's name and before she knew it, her feet carried her over to Harry's side. "Harry!" She cried out. The fear of losing him were slowly becoming a reality when she saw the amount of blood on the ground.

"Don't touch him." Snape firmly said. "We need to make sure nothing is broken." He cast a simple diagnostic charm and let out a sigh of relief when it showed a weak pulse coming from Harry's body. Looking over the readings, he then started to levitate Harry slowly off the ground. "Potter is fine Miss Granger. He's lost a lot of blood and has a severely depleted core so with your permission, can I take him to Poppy?"

Hermione nodded, her hand gently holding onto Harry's. "Did he win?" She whispered.

"I don't know Miss Granger. Please go inside while I try to make sense of what happened here." Kingsley said. He turned back around and sighed. If he had to take his guess, it must have been terrible here. To see Harry lying on top of a pool of blood made him sick to his stomach. By all means, the kid should have been dead but it's a miracle that he's not.

The biggest question now is what happened to Voldemort? He pulled out his wand and did a quick scan for body heat and when the results came back negative, he was scratching his head. Did his body just vanish in the battle or was it destroyed?

I guess the only person who can answer that right now would be Harry Potter himself...

* * *

"Pomfrey! I need your assistance now!" Snape yelled as he barged into the infirmary. Wasting no time, he motioned for Hermione to clear off the bed before carefully lowering Harry onto the bed. "He's alive but he needs medical attention now!"

Pomfrey came out quickly, holding several potions that Hermione recognized. Blood replenisher, skele-grow just to name a few. "My god... How did this even happen?"

"Never mind the how." Snape argued, "We need to get him patched up now."

"I know how to do my job." Pomfrey retorted. "I need to know how he came across these injuries so I can treat him." She looked around for any kind of answer but when she found none, she sighed. "Okay everyone out. I need space to do a full diagnostics. It's going to be an hour before I even consider letting anyone back into this room.

Hermione bit her lips, a side of her wanting to argue. "He's going to be fine dear." She heard Pomfrey whispering to her. She saw the kind look that the medi-witch was giving her. "Now please let me do my job."

When everyone finally cleared the room, Pomfrey lightly flickered Harry on his forehead. "Your father never gave me his much trouble Mister Potter." That was the last thing she said before going into work. There were numerous cuts and wounds but the one that gave her the most trouble was the famous scar. No matter how many times she tried to stop the bleed, it wouldn't stop. After a few moments, she realized that where was something stuck inside and with careful precision, a small piece of stone was removed from the scar.

Pomfrey pondered for a few seconds before deciding that it was probably debris that got caught during the crossfire. With other injuries like mending broken bones, she didn't pay much attention to that small piece of stone because if she did, she would have seen it glow for a few seconds.

* * *

Kingsley was positive that Voldemort was dead. He should have announced it to the world but he didn't.

He couldn't.

There was this nagging feeling in the back of his mind that until he heard the full story, he couldn't afford to celebrate. There was no way that he can allow a repeat of history again. Fighting Voldemort once was enough for him and if the bastard somehow came back, he's afraid that there won't be anyone left to stand up to him.

He lifted several stones hoping to find some kind of evidence that Voldemort was dead but unfortunately there was nothing. There was no body, no residue of the dark wizard. Kingsley scratched his head for a few seconds before wondering how that was even possible.

The only thing that wasn't touched in this battle was the Veil.

What a strange object. He could see scorch marks surrounding the artifact but other than that, it didn't look like it was even touched. As he approached the Veil, his skin started tingling and every one of his instincts were screaming for him to stop.

"Don't touch it." An ethereal voice echoed and Kingsley immediately halted his advance. He turned around and began looking for the person who warned him to stop. He could have swore he was alone right now. "We don't want another accident..."

"Whose there?" He shouted, hoping to draw the person out, his wand already in hand.

When no one answered him, he sighed and then pocketed the wand. "They always said when you start hearing voices, it's time to go..." He muttered, walking away.

If he had just believed, even for one second, he would have seen a green light floating around the Veil, and if he looked closer into that light, he would have seen a smiling ghostly figure.

* * *

Almost there !


	27. Future

Almost there folks. Thanks for the reviews.

* * *

"Harry..."

There was that gentle voice again... calling out to him. Harry finally opened his eyes and looked around. "Hello? Whose there?"

The voice laughed, "Oh Harry... My Harry... I've waited so long to finally meet you."

"I'm sorry but where are you?" Harry asked, "I can hear your voice but I can't see you." Panic began to creep into his voice. "Why can't I see anything?"

"Is this better?"

A bright light emerged from the darkness, taking the shape of a very familiar figure. Harry narrowed his eyes and gasped. "Mu-Mum?" He took a step back, recognizing the woman floating in front of him.

The ghostly figure shook her head. "I guess in some way I am like your mother Harry. I've been with you since the day you were born and have protected you throughout the years. We have shared many adventures together."

"If you're not my mother... then who are you?"

"Do you want to take a guess?"

There were hundreds of possibilities but for some reason, when Harry looked at her, he felt a warm connection throughout his body. It was almost like this was... "Magic." His voice whispered. "How is this possible? I'm not dead right?"

The woman warmly smiled. "My silly boy. It'll be years and years before we part ways. We're just having a conversation Harry. One where I always wanted to meet you. I was never able to do so when you had that block inside your head but once you were free of that, I was able to talk to you... And here I am!"

"I'm so sorry!" Harry said, bowing his head slightly. "If I had known it had a negative impact on you, I would have done so sooner."

"Would you Harry?" She questioned. "Would you have gone through with such excruciating pain when you were thirteen? Or perhaps fifteen? Don't be crazy. How can I blame you for something that you had no control over?"

"It's not about that. It's about what's right and what's wrong and I know that this is wrong."

"I expected nothing less from you." The woman pointed out. "I would not worry about the things in the past Harry." She then smiled and pointed towards the bright light that was bursting through the dark sky. "The future is where you should be looking towards. There are so many great things just waiting for you around the corner. Don't be afraid to take that step."

Harry turned his attention to the light. "What if that step is something that I don't want to take?"

"My silly boy. You know the answer to that question."

"Yeah... I think I do..."

* * *

For what feels like an eternity, Harry finally opened his eyes despite the bright lights in the room. He looked around and smiled inwardly when he saw Hermione asleep on the cot next to him. He gently reached out and brushed a few strands of hair asides. "It's finally over." He whispered, a smile still on his face as he looked around.

Memories of his final battle with Voldemort came back to him. It was a miracle that he survived at all. Voldemort had him dead to rights but in a last ditched effort, he prayed for a miracle because when he threw his wand, the only thing that he hoped for was a blast big enough to at least wound the dark lord. The last thing he expected to happen was for the doors of the Veil to open.

What came next caught the both of them off-guard. Powerful winds erupted from the Veil, blasting outward and blowing everything away. Harry attempted to roll out of its way but even he was caught in it. The winds threw him off the ground and smashed him into a tree, breaking three of his ribs. His hand unconsciously rubbing the left side of his body as he reminisced about it.

"About time you woke up Potter." Snape announced as he walked into the room. "Miss Granger over there has been going crazy ever since we found you." He softly stated.

"I'm the boy who lived." Harry smirked. "Did you think I was going to give up that title for someone like Voldemort?"

"I suppose not." Snape dryly answered. "I... want to express... my gratitude for what you did out there Potter..."

"Come on Severus, you can do it." Harry cheekily said.

"I hate you so much Potter."

"I know Snape but I didn't do it for you or anyone else. I did it for me. This was something that I had to do."

Snape nodded. "So what happened during your battle? After I found you unconscious, I didn't find any sign of Voldemort's body. Did it perish during the explosion or is it buried under the rubble?"

Harry hesitated. He just shook his head. "Voldemort isn't here anymore. I can confirm that." He saw the look on Snape's face but paid it no attention. The new headmaster of Hogwarts did not need to know what happened during the final moments of the battle. No one did... and no one will ever know. Just remembering what happened made Harry shudder. Watching the panic and fear rise up in Voldemort's eyes as long ethereal arms from inside the Veil exploded along with the winds, grabbing anything it could find.

When one of those arms latched onto Voldemort's legs, Harry could see the pale skin turning black and he could only imagine just how much it hurt as it dragged Voldemort into the abyss. He could still hear the man's scream whenever he closed his eyes...

Knowing that there was no way to save the man, Harry did the only thing he could. Throwing everything he had to either destroy the Veil or close it for good. He mustered as much magic as he could and threw exploding hexes at the artifact. It took three tries before the arms started retreating but not without Voldemort in its grasps. The man did everything he could to survive but it was futile. The Veil never let go.

"What will you do next Potter?" Snape asked, knocking Harry back into reality.

Memories of his dream came back to him and Harry smiled, looking down towards Hermione. "The future's bright Snape. I think I want to just be normal for a while."

"What's normal for someone like you?" Hermione yawned, interrupting the two males in the room. She stretched her arms and then pulled Harry into a big hug. "Don't you ever scare me like that again Mr. Potter!"

Harry chuckled. "I'll try Hermione but you know how trickle Fate is. You can fight her all you want but she'll get you no matter what."

Hermione rolled her eyes but none the less, planted a kiss on Harry. "We'll deal with it together."

Snape coughed, letting the couple know that he was still standing in the room. "We are still in a school you know. Please don't do something that will make me want to burn my eyes out. Just seeing it once with your parents was enough to make me gag up my entire dinner."

With that, the newly instated headmaster of Hogwarts left the hospital wing while Hermione turned to her boyfriend and gave him a look over. "How are you feeling Harry?" She solemnly asked.

"Good..." Harry replied. "Better than I've ever felt in a long time... Like a huge weight has been lifted off me..."

"I'm so happy Harry. You can finally be yourself without having to worry about that monster... and I suppose he's..."

"Dead. Gone. Won't be coming back." Harry said, finishing her sentence. The last part he prayed to be true but in fact, there was no way of knowing. He has accepted the fact that the Veil was something so dangerous that no one in his lifetime would be able to understand. His only worry now was what was on the other side of that door. What kind of monster was lying wait on the other side that happened to take Voldemort.

Hermione sat next to Harry, her arms wrapped around him tightly. "What are you worried about Harry?"

"It's probably nothing..." His voice trailed off but Hermione wouldn't have any of it. They've experience so much together to backtrack now. She gave him a gentle nudge to show her support and Harry finally relented. "I'm afraid that he might come back Hermione..." He saw the confused look on her face and elaborated. "It's Voldemort. He's come back multiple times in the past so I can't help but wonder if he has one final trick up his sleeve..."

"You can't think like that Harry!" Hermione said, raising her voice. "The monster is dead and if he does come back, you won't be fighting it alone. I'll be there with you and I'm sure Kingsley and the headmaster will be as well."

"Or we can run away..." Harry suggested, "I hear America is lovely this time of year... I've always wanted to see what all the hype is about."

"Harry?"

"Yeah?" Harry answered, turning his head to look at his girlfriend. "Am I bumming you out? Sorry sorry. It's just that this is all new to me."

"Shut up and kiss me." Hermione grabbed Harry and pulled him down for a passionate kiss, not even letting him get another word in. Harry smiled into the kiss and pulled his girlfriend into his lap, allowing him free range to wrap his arms around her.

* * *

Just two chapters left. Going to wrap this up nicely.


	28. Closure

This is it. This story will be ending by next week. Thank you all for following along.

* * *

The day after Harry was declared fit and ready to return to society by several healers and Madam Pomfrey, the rumors eventually found their way to him. Of course Hermione already heard them already and scoffed at each and every one of them. Harry of course, found them to be amusing.

"They believe that I'm being possessed by Voldemort?" He asked with a big grin on his face. "I kind of like that rumor."

Hermione scoffed, lightly elbowing Harry in his ribs. "Of course you would. Don't you think you have enough on your plate to worry about Mister Potter?"

"I believe my plate has been wiped clean Miss Granger." Harry cheekily replied. He took her hand in his and led her into the Main Hall for some much needed breakfast. After spending the last three days drinking potions, he was craving some normal food like bacon for starters.

As Harry pushed the doors opened, the normal chatter that filled the room suddenly stopped and he looked around unimpressed. He sighed and continued to walk to his table, still holding onto Hermione's hand. Quiet conversations filled the room but Harry paid it no attention.

"Idiots." He muttered under his breathe. He gestured for Hermione to take a sit which she gladly did and the pair waited for their breakfast to pop up in front of them. "You would think by now that they would do something other than gossip. Honestly, if this is our generation then I truly fear for Britain's future."

"Cut them some slack Harry. They've been through a lot this year with Voldemort and the loss of Dumbledore." Hermione protested. "Don't forget, they're still children Harry. You can't expect them to be something that their not."

"Then what about me?" Harry snapped, his eyes flashing green. "I was a child as well but no one cut me any damn slack. I wasn't given a choice in how I wanted to live my life because some deranged lunatic decided that I was the one that would ultimately kill him. Where was my slack Hermione?"

"Harry..." Hermione whispered, gently rubbing his hand in an attempt to calm him down. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry Harry."

Harry took several deep breaths to calm himself down but it was harder than he expected. Deep down he knew it wasn't their fault. It wasn't their fault that he had to grow up without knowing his parents or experiencing parental love. It wasn't their fault that he had to suffer through the long training sessions. It wasn't their fault that he just fought to the death for the future of Britain.

He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. He could hear Hermione calling out his name but he didn't want to respond. He just wanted to be left alone... away from this place. Away from them...

"Oh not now..." Harry heard his girlfriend uttered. "Please don't come over here... please don't come over here..."

With his eyes closed, he willed his magic to feel out the impending trouble and instantly recognized the two sources approaching their table. The sounds of their footsteps become louder as they came closer and before they could fully approach the table, Harry opened his eyes and stared straight at Ronald and Neville.

"What do you lot want?"

"We just want to apologize Harry." Neville said, Ronald just nodding along. "We feel horrible for the way that we've treated you in the past and we want to thank you for all that you've done for us. For our people Harry."

"Yeah. Thanks." Ron muttered afterwards. "Good job Potter. You did what was right and not let it go get to your head. You're going to be a great wizard."

Hermione's jaw dropped slightly upon hearing her former friend's comment. She quickly turned to Harry and noticed the harden glare that was developing on his face. She was no longer paying attention to Ron as he continued to praise Harry but was debating internally if she should stop this from escalating further. A long sigh escaped her lips and she just patted Harry on his arm, giving her blessing.

"Are you done?" Harry asked. "If you said all you needed to say, please go away. I want to finish my breakfast in peace."

Ron blushed, his face turning deep red. "Get that stick out of your arse Potter! I'm on your side here! We all are!"

"Don't you think it's time to bury the hatchet Harry? I know we were horrible to you when we were younger but we were just children." Neville added. "We didn't know any better."

Hermione heard what they said and just sadly shook her head. They should have just taken Harry's advice and gone away but instead, they chose to bury themselves deeper into their own graves.

"I've buried the hatchet a long time ago LongBottom." Harry coldly stated. "I buried it when I was a child that was thrown into this world without an ounce of mercy. I had a huge target painted on my back since the day I was born so please excuse the stick up my arse as Ron kindly stated and for the record, I want you and every single one of you sitting in here to listen." Harry stood up on his chair and looked around, seeing that everyone was now paying attention to him, including the professors.

"I didn't fight Voldemort for you. I didn't fight the psychopath for your parents. Hell, I didn't kill him for this god forsaken country. I ended his reign of terror because he pissed me off. I didn't care if he came after you or your family. I wouldn't have shed a tear if every single person in this room died. I didn't care if it was only Hermione and myself that survived this war. I only did what I did because the raging lunatic came after me and I will do the same to anyone else that dares harm Hermione or myself. You were all selfish children that got lucky that I was born when I did."

Everyone in the room gasped in shock by Harry's declaration. The younger students who didn't understand what happen started crying and several professors rushed over to calm them down, while shooting dirty looks at Harry but he didn't care. He didn't care for anything in this castle anymore.

"Surely you don't mean that Harry." Neville argued. "Maybe you want to rethink your words..."

Ron shook his head. "I was right. You do think you're better than us Potter. Always wanting to be right. Always wanting to be on top. Well I got news for you Potter! You claim that we're all selfish children but what about you huh?"

"And what about me Ron? Was I not a child too? Did I not risk my life to bring your sister back? Granted it didn't turn out as I planned but I risked my life when no one else would."

"That was your damn job as the boy who lived!" One student shouted. "You were chosen to save us from the dark lord!"

Full blown laughter erupted from Harry. "I will not deny that but I swear that the next time darkness befalls this world, do not seek me out. I'm not interested in saving you guys again. Learn to clean up your own god damn mess."

This time, Neville blushed from embarrassment but he bowed nonetheless. "I am so sorry Harry." He threw out one last apology before leaving.

Ron, on the other hand, was getting worked up from this. "You think you're some kind of God now Potter?" He taunted.

Hermione quickly interjects, pulling on Harry's arm. "I think that's enough Harry." She whispered. "He's just egging you on."

Ignoring her, Harry smirked at Ron. "I don't think I'm God but I do believe that you're standing near a person whose close enough to rival a powerful entity. Shouldn't you kneel before him if that's the case?"

Ron snorted. "There may be people who worship you Potter but I know that you're nothing but a fraud and I won't kneel to a fraud so get off your pedestal and forget this farce."

Harry jumped down from his chair and continued to smirk. "If you think I'm such a fraud Ronald... then why are you kneeling?"

Ron's eyes widened when he found himself in a kneeling position. He struggled for a few seconds before uttering a low growl. "What did you do Potter!?"

"I did nothing." Harry coyly answered. "It seems like your body recognized a superior being. It just took a while for your brain to catch up."

Hermione giggled and then quickly looked away, not wanting to draw attention to herself. Deep down inside, she was rather enjoying this. She knew it was wrong but it felt so right to finally see the people who made her life a living hell just paying for it now.

"Potter's turned dark!" Lavender screamed. "I told you didn't I? Someone needs to stop him before he kills us all!" When no one was moving to assist her boyfriend, she turned her attention to the professors table and found the new headmaster sitting there with an amused look on his face. "Professor Snape! You have to stop him!" She pleaded.

Snape chuckled and shook his head. "If I had to wager a guess, I would say that Weasley's magic is working against him. I do not detect Potter using any kind of magic."

"Then he truly is the next dark lord!" Lavender yelled, running over to help her boyfriend. She pulled with all her might to free her boyfriend but nothing she did worked. "Someone please help!"

This went on for several minutes as other students came over to assist. Harry merely sat back down and continued to munch on his bacon strip as he looked on with interest. Hermione poked him once on the rib and gave him a confused look. He shook his head in response with a quiet promise to tell her about it later.

"Potter. Just let him go." Snape said, pointing at Ron. "I have better things to do than to watch him wet himself in a few more seconds."

Harry chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what you mean headmaster..." And just like that, Ron fell to the ground, his body aching in pain. "You need to stop being a baby Ron and start growing up. Look at your father and your brothers... I just hope that you get your head out of your arse and start acting like a true Weasley."

Ron didn't say anything, his face still deep red from the earlier incident. He allowed his girlfriend to help him up and they quickly scrambled back to their tables. Harry sighed and then turned his attention back to his own girlfriend, who had a smile on her face.

"Are you ready to get out of here Miss Granger?" He asked, holding his hand out for her.

"Why I say Mister Potter... I thought you would never ask." Hermione answered, putting her hand on top of his.

Harry smiled and as quickly as that happened, he popped out of the Main Hall, causing a loud boom to ripple outwards, shattering any glass that was in the room. The last thing he heard was Snape screaming his name and that itself brought a smile to his face.

* * *

Epilogue next guys. Thanks for the ride. See you all next week.


	29. Epilogue

Enjoy this chapter. I had a blast writing this story and thank you each and every one of you that left me reviews/messages. Maybe i'll see you around for a future story.

* * *

 _A year later_

"Are you sure you have everything Harry?" Hermione shouted from outside the house. She held up her clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. "Make sure you grab that plastic bag by the stairs as well."

"I got it." Harry's muffled answer echoed through the house. A loud crash came a few seconds after which a distinct sorry followed.

Hermione sighed but smiled. After the fall of Voldemort, the both of them opted out on their last year of Hogwarts, choosing instead to become full pledge members of society. It wasn't hard given as the ministry of magic was not around to contest their decision. Several people were outraged by this but Kingsley promptly dealt with those nuisances. Harry on the other hand was pleased that he didn't have to remain in the wizarding world so with some assistance from Gringotts, he was given a list of properties that now belong to him, seeing as how he was the sole heir to the Potter-Black estates.

"Hey Hermione, you know that lamp in the den that you hated? The one with the ugly design?"

"Yes." She absentmindedly replied. "I've been meaning to give it to mum. I think she would could re-purpose that for that side project of hers."

"Oh so you do want it..."

"What did you do now?" Hermione asked, shaking her head. She dropped the clipboard to the ground and started walking back into the house. "Did you drop it again Harry? Honestly, what am I going to do with you?"

"I don't know but I can think of several things if you want." Harry suggest, winking at his girlfriend. He turned his attention back to the task at hand which was to clean up this house, removing any kind of furniture that is outdated and unnecessary. At first, he was just going to hire Gringotts to clean the place out but when Hermione heard about his idea, she adamantly put her foot down. According to her, it was his responsibility to inspect each of those properties before selling them off but he secretly suspected she wanted to see them as well.

Their task took them all over the world. Spain, Ireland, Scotland... just to name a few they've been so far. They would spend a few weeks at each place, living like tourists and taking in the local culture but they would also spend time in each of those properties, cleaning and packaging anything that Hermione would consider valuable.

"We're supposed to be joining my parents for dinner in an hour Harry." Hermione said, a blush on her face. She walked past him with the lamp and whispered, "Maybe later."

Harry laughed and shook his head. There was something about that woman that made him crazy inside. It was the little things that drove him crazy but he knew that she was the one. He knew it for a while now but whenever he wanted to tell her, his mouth would go dry and only weird sounds would come out of his mouth.

"Hey Hermione?"

Hermione looked up from inspecting the lamp, "Yes Harry?"

"I love you." Harry said, looking straight into her eyes. "I know that this is just out of the blue but I wanted to tell you that I love you Hermione. I loved you from the moment you walked back into my life."

The lamp that Hermione was holding onto dropped to the ground, shattering it into pieces. She stared at Harry, her eyes widened from the surprise. "You-you love me?"

"That's what I said." Harry smirked. "I love you Hermione Jean Granger."

Hermione blinked a couple of times, trying to keep the tears from spilling down her face but no matter how hard she tried, they just kept coming. It wasn't before long that she felt herself wrapped up in Harry's arms.

"Hey hey, why are you crying?" She heard him whisper but no response was needed as she closed her eyes and pulled her boyfriend into a passionate kiss. Her arms locked themselves around his neck and pulled him down, putting as much love and emotion into this kiss. When they finally broke apart, Hermione found herself with a shy smile on her face and buried herself into the crook of Harry's neck.

"So you never answered me Hermione."

"I love you Mister Potter." She softly whispered, closing her eyes and enjoying the faint rhythm of his heartbeat. "I was just wondering what took you so long." She teased back.

"I had this annoying dark lord problem you know..."

"Uh huh." Hermione said, pulling him into another kiss.

* * *

 _Another year later_

Each morning, Hermione liked to start her day off with some coffee and some fresh fruit, sitting by the balcony and enjoying the city view but not today. Her morning routine was rudely interrupted when an owl came flying into their apartment, scaring the daylights out of her. Her scream brought her boyfriend of three years running from the kitchen, holding a spatula and a frying pan.

"What happened Hermione?" Harry said, frantically looking around. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm alright." Hermione responded, glaring at the owl who had the nerve to look at her like it was her fault. "I always start my day off by scaring myself senseless with owls. Nine out of ten doctors actually recommend it."

"Hm, I don't recognize this bird. Where are you from girl?"

The owl hooted in response before pointing downward at the message attached to her leg. Harry gently reached over and pulled it back, giving it some over bacon that he was in the middle of frying when this incident happened.

"What does it say Harry?" Hermione asked, noticing the grimace look on Harry's face. "I'm being sued by a Mister Ronald Weasley... on the grounds of malicious intent..."

Hermione snorted, "Come on Harry, what does it really say?"

Harry rolled his eyes and just handed her the letter. "Read it yourself then." As he waited for her to finish, he noticed that the owl that delivered them the bad news disappeared. "Figures." He muttered. "At least you can run away."

"This is outrageous!" Hermione yelled, throwing the letter on the ground. "That no good son of a... When I get my hands on him... I'm going to murder him." She growled.

"Hey hey, let's just change and go see what this is all about yeah?" Harry interrupted. "Speculating won't help me in anyway. Let's just go to Hogwarts and see what this is all about. I'm sure someone over there would be able to tell us what happened and why I'm being sued."

"That lazy bastard probably figured out that you were his golden goose and didn't want to let that opportunity go." Hermione turned around quickly and walked into their bedroom, pulling out a pair of jeans and a blouse. "Who does that Weasley think he is? I can't believe he even found a solicitor dumb enough to send this to you!"

Harry sighed and went to change his clothes as well. "Well... people have to earn a living somehow right?" He weakly answered.

"Not like this they don't!" Hermione shot back, throwing a shirt at Harry.

 _Twenty minutes later_

After changing and apparating to Hogwarts, Hermione calmed down slightly but was still upset over the news. She allowed herself to be lead around by Harry until he suddenly stopped. Her mind was so preoccupied that she didn't even realized that they were now standing in the courtyard of Hogwarts.

"Hermione."

"What Harry? I'm a little busy here trying to plan our next move."

"I know and I love you for doing that but I want you to stop and look around." Harry gently whispered and for the first time today, Hermione stopped and then realized that she was standing in Hogwarts, surrounded by flowers.

Roses, Peonies, Orchids, Sunflowers. Lilies. Irises. Daisies. There were even some that she didn't recognize.

It was like looking at a scene from one of those romantic movies that they always watched. "What... is all of this?" She slowly asked, walking over to take a closer look at the flowers. "They're so beautiful Harry..."

"I know."

Hermione turned around and was prepared to see Harry standing behind her but her eyes didn't register her boyfriend for a second because he wasn't standing behind her. He was crouching down on the floor with one knee. Her hands instantly went to her mouth, her eyes quickly watering. Her heart started beating faster and faster as her mind started to process what was going on.

"Oh my god."

Harry smiled and took out a small black velvet box, opening it slowly. "Hermione Granger, from the day that you walked into my life, I knew that you were someone special. You've shown me things that I didn't think someone like me was allowed to have. You've given me so much and I'm afraid that I cannot even begin to pay you back but if you will let me, I will dedicate my life to making sure that you're always loved, that you're always happy and that you'll always be with me. I've been thinking about this day for a while now and I will be the happiest man on this planet if you'll marry me."

"Yes." She softly whispered, nodding her head fervently. "A thousand times yes Harry Potter. I will marry you!"

Harry started laughing as he stood back up, sweeping up his now fiancée in his arms. "I'm going to hold you to that Miss Granger."

The tears were now falling down her cheeks as she happily joined Harry in his laughter. "But what about the letter?" She asked, hoping that it wouldn't ruin the mood.

"Oh that? Yeah it's a fake." Harry cheekily answered and then pointed to the entrance of the courtyard as people started rushing out. "I had to come up with a way to get you here."

Hermione nodded, letting this one go because deep down inside, it didn't matter. This proposal blew anything that she envisioned when she was younger. All those dreams and fantasies about getting engaged in a small meadow or by the ocean no longer mattered. What mattered was this moment right here.

"Oh my baby girl!" She heard her mother shout as her parents ran across the courtyard. "Let me see that ring!"

Harry kept his arm wrapped around Hermione's shoulder, leaning in slightly and kissing her temple. "Love you."

"Love you more." Hermione responded with a big smile.

* * *

 _One more year later_

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Harry asked for the umpteenth time. "There's plenty of other places that we can choose from."

Hermione sighed. "I'm not changing my mind Harry. Honestly, there's nothing wrong with this house."

"But it's my parent's house!" Harry argued. "I haven't been back here since it was abandoned."

"This house has the memories of your parents Harry. I'm sure that if they were still alive, they would have wanted you to have it and our future children would be very safe growing up within these walls."

"Children?" Harry asked, his brow raised. "Are you already thinking about children Missus Potter?"

Hermione's hand unconsciously went to her stomach and the smile on her face grew even larger. She looked on with happiness when her husband of a few months stood there in shock. "So what do you think?" She teased.

"Oh my god!"

* * *

That's all folks. I hope you enjoy reading the final chapter of this story and I want to thank you for sticking with me.


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